


1 salt

by Driwed



Category: ONEUS (Band)
Genre: 1salt, Fanfiction, M/M, Supernatural - Freeform, driwed, kpop, oneus - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-24
Updated: 2019-05-24
Packaged: 2019-11-29 00:46:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 23
Words: 31,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18215921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Driwed/pseuds/Driwed
Summary: 6 men from different professions find themselves being the only ones on Earth who can save mankind. But... why?





	1. Brief Words

**My other Oneus stories:**   
** Rednegne ** **(completed & first book)**   
** What Lies Beneath ** **(** **completed & ** **second book)**   
** disfunctionality ** **(completed)**   
** When You Were Here ** **(finishes writing)**   
** Short ** **(completed)**   
** Believe In Me ** **(completed)**


	2. Fateful Meeting

I walked into the air conditioned mall then let out a sigh of content. Today was too hot to be anywhere but in the A/C or deep underwater. The mall was full of teens, girls wearing the shortest skirts and shorts and the most cropped tops I had ever seen. I missed the more modest days. I walked over to a spot selling froyo and bought myself a mix of blueberry and strawberry.

I sat and savored each spoonful of froyo as I watched people walk past talking about future plans, things they bought, people they're romantically interested in. In this mall, it seemed as if things in the world were peaceful, protected from the gruesome things that went on outside of it. It was relaxing.

I got up to throw out my cup then felt the floor shake. I wasn't going to take chances and ducked underneath a table as the dull shaking became more violent. Screaming and disarray filled my ears as I kept my eyes shut, hoping everything would come to pass. The ground kept shaking, but I no longer heard the chaos. I slightly opened my eyes and saw the mall was empty. No sign of life anywhere. The ground eventually stopped shaking and stayed put in case of an aftershock.

ㅠㅛㅠㅛ

After confirming it was safe to come out, I started checking the floor I was on for anyone. What made it strange was that nothing was destroyed. Wasn't it an earthquake? I checked behind the counter of a beauty supply store and saw someone cowering underneath it.

"Hey." I said softly as to not scare him. It had the opposite effect. "I'm not gonna hurt you. I'm just as scared as you are. I'm just better at hiding it." I said as he tried hiding more.

"So I'm not alone... that's comforting in a way..." he said as he crawled out then stood up.

"I'm Lee Seoho. And you?" I asked as I extended my hand out to him.

"Sohn Dongju. Aspiring actor. I've been in a few movies and a tv show." he said proudly.

I stifled my laughter as I motioned for him to follow me out. He was pretty young, but it was interesting to see that he had his future within grasp.

"So, did you come here alone?" I asked him as we made our way downstairs.

"Came with a friend. We separated before the quake." he responded as we started checking stores.

"I wonder what happened to everyone." I said as I checked the back room of a clothing store.

"Who knows? Did you call 119?" asked Dongju as he sat on the checkout counter.

"Yeah. No one answered." I replied as I walked back over to him.

"That's concerning..." Dongju said as he followed me out.

We walked down the stairs once more then saw someone running around.

"Anyone here?" the person shouted as he frantically looked around.

"Yeah. Up here." I said waving from the stairs.

He looked at us and nearly burst into tears as he ran towards us.

"I'm not imagining you both, right?" he asked as he pulled on my face.

I pried his hands off then assured him we were definitely real. The amount of relief he felt was clearly present on his face.

"Mind telling us your name?" Dongju asked from behind me.

"Lee Keonhee. I'm a teacher. High school teacher." he said as he straightened up.

"Glad to meet you." I said as I patted his back. "Did you come alone?"

"Yeah. The other teachers excluded me from their annual getaway just because I was teacher of the month for 6 months straight. Can you believe how cruel that is?" Keonhee said with annoyance.

I could understand why they would, but Keonhee didn't seem like the type who'd brag about it and rub it in their faces. The guy nearly cried at the sight of a human.

"Hey, you never told us your profession, Seoho." Dongju quipped as we peeked into the stores on the ground floor.

"Oh, I'm part of the military." I said as I went behind a counter to sneak some food.

"Really?" Keonhee asked in surprise. "Well thanks for keeping our country safe."

"Hey, isn't what you're doing illegal? Yet you're supposed to uphold pride and justice." said Dongju as he watched me swipe food.

"No one will know. Unless you're going to play tattletale?" I replied.

"Hey, I think I saw something." Keonhee said as he rushed towards one of the restrooms.

We quickly followed behind him in hopes we found someone else. We filed in one by one and saw a man slapping his cheeks.

"Hey, you okay?" Keonhee asked as we slowly approached him.

"Now I'm imagining people? I've already lost my mind. Oh my god." he said as he covered his face.

"No, we're real. Here, pinch me." I said as I stuck out my arm.

He looked up and quietly stared at me. I started to feel weirded out as he kept looking at me.

"Um... sir?" I said as I moved my arm.

"Sorry, I..." he said before pinching my arm. Naturally, it hurt. "You're real..."

"Indeed. The more heads we have, the chances of us figuring this situation out rises." I said as I lifted him to his feet. "Do you mind telling us your name? Or something we can call you?"

"Yeo Hwanwoong, but everyone calls me Hwan." he said quietly as we left the restroom.

"Then I'll call you Hwan." I said with a smile.

ㅠㅛㅠㅛ

We headed outside as there wasn't much else to search in the mall. The world outside was dead quiet. You could probably hear a pin drop in China. The sun beat down on us as we spread out to search the surrounding area. We ended up splitting into two separate groups. I checked inside cars as we walked down the block.

"You never told me your name." said Hwanwoong from my side.

"Oh, Lee Seoho. Nothing special." I replied as I peeked into a store.

"I think Seoho is a nice name." said Hwanwoong softly while looking around. "I wonder if it's just the four of us..."

I looked at Hwanwoong who seemed genuinely worried. I sighed as reality started hitting me at full force again. I shook my head as I needed to stay calm.

"Even if it's just the four of us, there could still be people in other countries." I said as we ducked into a store to cool off.

"Hopefully..." he replied before taking a seat on the floor.

I sat next to him as we basked in the cool air. I had at times wondered what it would be like if everyone in the world had disappeared and I was a survivor. Now that it's happened, it's scarier than I thought. How will the human race continue on if there was no one to mate with? Questions I never thought about before started to arise in my mind. I looked at Hwanwoong who seemed lost in thought as well.

"Hey, what's on your mind, Hwan?" I asked softly.

He hummed while rocking back and forth before answering.

"Is this the end of the world?" he answered before stopping his movements to look at me.

I looked away with a sigh. I didn't know what to say. Whatever was going on was real. This was our new reality.


	3. New Addition

We all settled down in a nearby hotel in one of the suites up on the top floor as night had fallen. Even in this situation full of negatives, it still had a few positives. I set up a makeshift bed on the couch then noticed Hwanwoong had come out of one of the bedrooms.

"You're sleeping out here? There's plenty of space in the room." Hwanwoong said as he gestured towards the room.

"About that... I snore, so I didn't want to disturb you." I replied, embarrassed. Snoring wasn't something to feel proud of.

"Oh, I see. Thank you for the consideration." he said with a smile.

"Sleep tight, Hwan." I said as I made myself comfortable.

"Sleep tight..." said Hwanwoong softly before heading back into the room.

I lied on my back and stared at the ceiling. What would happen when morning rose? Would we join the other humans wherever they are? Would we remain like this? I took out my phone to see if Chuncheon was the only place affected. The internet didn't say much, which meant news hadn't gotten around or whatever happened already spread worldwide. I couldn't sleep, so I decided to check on the others. I pushed open the door to a room and looked to see if they were sleep. Neither of them moved. Just as I closed the door, I felt something tap me and I naturally jumped in fright.

"It's just me, Hwan." Hwanwoong whispered.

"Can't sleep?" I whispered back as we moved away from the room.

"I wish I could easily sleep like them." Hwanwoong replied as we sat on the floor.

I laughed lowly as I wondered how they managed to do it.

"You have a nice laugh." said Hwanwoong smiling.

I laughed nervously as I wasn't used to simple compliments like this. They were usual more about me looking handsome in uniform. It was only about my looks. When was the last time someone had complimented my smile? My laugh? I looked at Hwanwoong who wordlessly waited for me to say something.

"Thank you, Hwan." I finally said, returning his smile.

We looked up as we heard a door open. Keonhee and Dongju had stepped out then walked over to us.

"You both can't sleep either, can you?" Keonhee asked as he sat down with us.

"We're awake, aren't we?" I replied, making space for Dongju.

"What do you think happened to everyone?" Keonhee asked, leaving the floor open for discussion.

"Aliens?" Hwanwoong piped up.

"In this case, it strangely makes sense." I said with a sigh.

"Maybe the Earth did it. Swallowed them whole." Dongju said while looking around.

"Aliens are believable, what you said, is not. And even if it were true, why weren't we swallowed whole too?" Keonhee countered.

"How are aliens more believable than this living rocking floating in space?" Dongju shot back, clearly ticked off.

"Aliens are living things too, you child." hissed Keonhee.

"Look, whether aliens took them or the Earth swallowed them, it doesn't change the fact that we're here, alive, and that we need to do something to fix this. We survived for a reason, didn't we?" I said, looking them each in the eye.

"Seoho's right. Instead of arguing and causing a rift between ourselves, let's focus on finding a way to save our family, friends, and others. If it's possible that is." Hwanwoong added on.

"Now, let's get some sleep so we can fully use our brains later." I said, getting up and dragging them back to the bedrooms.

ㅠㅛㅠㅛ

I let out a groan as my body had come out of REM sleep. I unwillingly opened my eyes and saw the familiar ceiling above me. I made it another day. I figured I'd head downstairs and see what food could be made in the kitchen. It then dawned on me that I didn't know if they were allergic to anything. I didn't want to take chances, so I ended up heading back upstairs to find out. I arrived back upstairs and wasn't surprised to see none of them awake and roaming around. I unlocked the door and headed inside.

"Keonhee? Hwan? Dongju?" I called out as I walked over to the bedrooms.

None of them answered and I started to get a sinking feeling. They could still be asleep since it was only a little after 9am. I chose to peek into the rooms to rid myself of this weird feeling. I opened the first door and saw Hwanwoong cuddled up with a pillow. He was there. He existed. Relief washed over me briefly until I remembered there was more than one. I looked into the other room and saw them sprawled out on each other in the bed. I noticed the makeshift bed beside the actual bed looked as if someone had been pulled out of it.

A part of me didn't want to wake them as I didn't want them coming back to reality yet. I sauntered over to the window and looked down at the still city. I usually preferred silence, but in certain doses. I started to miss things I hated, things I loved, even the things I never gave a glance at. As the saying went, "You don't know what you have until it's gone.". And to add on to it like many have said about it, we knew what we had, we just never thought we'd lose it. All of it was true to a T. I heard a door open, so I turned to see what it was.

"You're up early, Seoho..." Hwanwoong said through a yawn.

"I planned to make breakfast, but I never asked if you all had food allergies." I replied as I finally looked away from the empty city beneath us.

"Well, I don't have any." he replied cheerily.

The other bedroom door opened and both of them seemed eerily quiet.

"You two slept okay?" I asked, clearly aware of what most likely happened when they awoke together.

"Yeah." they said in unison.

"Anyone have any food allergies?" I asked.

"Nuts." Dongju said as he slumped into a chair.

"No allergies here." said Keonhee with a weak rise of his arm.

"Great. I'll head down and make us something. Don't eat each other." I warned before hurrying back downstairs.

They were an interesting few. Dongju seemed to be the youngest out of all of us, and it impressed me how well he was taking the entire situation. He seemed mature for his age.

ㅠㅛㅠㅛ

We walked out of the hotel to resume our search for any sign of life. Plenty of animals roamed around as if nothing had happened. We had split into our groups again and started checking in unusual places as well.

"Hey, look." piped up Hwanwoong as we passed an alleyway.

I hurried over to where he felt the ground. I noticed a dog was pulling as it's leash seemed to be stuck in the ground. I looked around for something sharp then remembered I still had my swiss army knife. I set the dog free and received licks in return. I let go of the dog, expecting it to return home, but it simply sat down in front of me.

"Guess we made a new friend." Hwanwoong said as he petted the dog.

"Yeah." I said with a smile before everything hit me like a ton of bricks. Dongju was onto something. "Hwan, I don't think aliens were at work."

He gave me a confused look in response. I explained my reasoning to him and his eyes grew wide.

"You mean it's owner is beneath us!?" he asked in a raised voice.

"How else would it's leash be that caught in cement?" I said as I stood up from squatting.

"True..." he replied as the dog walked by his side. "Hm, is it a boy or a girl?"

"Girl." I said as we continued our search. "Her name is also on her dog tag."

"Now I feel dumb." Hwanwoong said in defeat.

"You're not. I'm just very observant." I replied, hoping it'd make him feel better.

He didn't say anything, but the smile on his face told me enough.

ㅠㅛㅠㅛ

We met up with the other two and exchanged information.

"So now we have a furry companion." said Keonhee as the dog circled around us.

"Dongju, you were right." Hwanwoong said in a serious tone.

"I was? About what?" Dongju asked, confused.

"Remember last night? You said the Earth might've swallowed them. You were right about that." I said then explained how our companion came to join us.

"Oh shit. No way..." Keonhee said in surprise.

"Way. What's concerning is that the Earth either purposefully didn't swallow us or accidentally forgot us. Both aren't settling well with me." I said as we started walking towards a car. "Does anyone have anything hefty?"

They all looked at me with questioning looks.

"Unless one of you drove a car here, then we have no choice but to break into one and try to start it." I explained then patted the car.

"I drove." said Dongju. "I live far so..."

"Well, take us to thy car." Hwanwoong said, motioning for Dongju to lead the way.


	4. New New Addition

"You don't have to wait at each light, Dongju." Keonhee said from the backseat.

"The police may be gone, but those red light cameras are still there." Dongju grumbled.

"Does that really matter now?" Keonhee said with a sigh.

"You know what. You can get out of this fucking car and walk." Dongju snapped.

"Keonhee, shut up. Dongju, drive." I said, displeased with their lack of unity at a time like this.

The dog happily panted as it stuck its head out the window. It would be nice if we were able to be carefree once more just like Carla, the dog. She was probably aware that her owner was missing, but she hardly showed any sadness. Maybe it's because we found and helped her. Life seemed simpler as a pet than a human. The car came to a sudden stop and pulled me out from my thoughts.

"Why'd you stop?" Hwanwoong asked.

"That." Dongju said as he pointed ahead.

A large crevice lied between us and the other side. We couldn't tell where it started nor ended.

"Let's ride by the side of it and see if we can find an end." I suggested. Sitting here probably wouldn't do us any good.

Dongju made a left and followed the crevice. It seemed never ending until it stopped by a building. We went around and were relieved to see that it didn't continue.

"Hey, where are we?" Keonhee asked.

"I don't know, look at the street signs?" Dongju replied as he made a turn.

"No, I meant in general..." Keonhee said as he poked his head out.

I wasn't too familiar with the area myself. Dongju started to slow down in order for us to look. I figured we ended up in another part of Chuncheon. That or we traveled to another city or region.

"Well, wherever we are, two things. One, we stop for gas. Two, we honk and shout. See if anyone's here." Dongju said as he stopped the car to look up where a gas station was.

"Sounds good to me." Hwanwoong said.

Keonhee and I nodded in agreement. Dongju put the car back in drive then made a U turn. The air blew in my face as we traveled down the road in the summer heat. A part of me was thankful that this whole shabang didn't happen in the winter. Though we all could agree that we would've preferred that it never happened. Dongju pulled into the gas station then got out the car.

"I'm going to walk around with Carla." said Hwanwoong as he climbed over Keonhee then softly called Carla to do the same.

"You could've asked me to get out." Keonhee grumbled.

"Come on Carla. Let's not hang around Mr. Grumpy Pants." Hwanwoong said before jogging away with Carla in tow.

I decided to nap as I started to feel tired. It was short lived as Keonhee started to shift around.

"Keonhee, could you just... sit still? Please?" I subtly pleaded.

"Sure." he said as he shifted.

"Thank you." I said then closed my eyes.

The sooner we were able to figure out what we needed to do to save everyone, the faster I could get back to my life. I was certain I wasn't the only one thinking it. Dongju and Keonhee were like oil and vinegar. I couldn't understand why they couldn't get along when they got along with Hwanwoong and I just fine.

"Hey!" we heard someone shout.

Soon a figure ran past us and Hwanwoong had come to a stop beside the car.

"He... he took Carla!" said Hwanwoong out of breath.

"What?" Keonhee and I said in unison.

I didn't think there was a survivor around here. We quickly got out of the car and headed in the direction that the man went in. I looked at Hwanwoong who's face screamed of guilt.

"It's not your fault, Hwan. We'll get her back, okay?" I said then patted his back.

"If only I watched her more carefully..." he mumbled as we looked around.

We heard barking come from our right and hoped it belonged to Carla. The barking grew louder the farther down we went until we no longer heard it.

"Carla..." I whispered before turning into a car garage.

I ran around the garage, hoping I'd find the both of them in case Carla got hurt. I walked up to the next level then spotted a man getting into a car.

"Hey!" I shouted as I ran to the car.

He started to back out, but I held onto the door handle.

"Open up you dognapper!" I shouted then heard the other two heading in my direction.

I heard the door unlock and I was quick to let Carla out. She went up on her hind legs and wagged her tail happily. I turned my attention back to the person sitting at the wheel.

"Why did you take Carla?" Hwanwoong shouted.

"Hwanwoong, calm down. Let's get him out the car first." said Keonhee as he pulled the driver's side open.

They pull him out the car then pinned him down against his own car. At least I assumed it was.

"Are you real?" Hwanwoong asked before poking the man's ass.

"Could you let me go? I figured if there was a dog around, it's owner was too. And I wasn't wrong." the man said.

I gestured for them to let him go.

"What's your name?" I asked as Carla continued to put her paws on me.

"As if I would tell you." he said flatly.

"Look, we're all you got. You can continue to be alone, but I'll tell you this: safety in numbers." I said before calling Carla to walk away with me.

Keonhee and Hwanwoong followed suit as we didn't want someone with attitude on our journey to save the world.

"Fine." he said then got back in his car.

"I can't believe the Earth didn't swallow him up too." Keonhee said with a shake of his head.

"Be nice, Keonhee." Hwanwoong hissed.

The sound of a car rang in our ears and we quickly moved as a car went past us.

"Get in." the man said from inside the car.

We looked at each other then back at the car. Soon another car entered the garage then honked.

"Looks like Dongju found us." Keonhee said. "But I'm gonna ride with the new guy. One of you would've suggested it anyway."

I looked at Hwanwoong who shrugged. We walked over to Dongju's car then explained everything.

"Great. Now I won't have a backseat driver nitpicking at everything I do." Dongju said as he backed out of the garage.

I quietly sighed as we needed to get them on better terms with each other. Everything would fall apart if the two of them refused to cooperate.


	5. The First Clue

I couldn't help but noticed some buildings leaned and trees had started to look greener. I was probably just imaging it all. We traveled down the highway then stopped as a number of cars blocked the way.

"Is there no other way to get to Seoul?" Hwanwoong asked from the backseat.

"Train. But I don't suggest it unless someone know how to operate a train." Dongju said as he backed up.

"Well, we could always walk it." Hwanwoong suggested.

"Let's ask the new guy since he drives." I suggested to make sure there absolutely weren't any other ways.

I got out the car then walked over to the blue car behind us. He rolled his window down with a knowing look.

"You wouldn't happen to know another way to get to Seoul by car, would you?" I asked, despite him already giving me a knowing smirk.

"Unfortunately, I don't. I don't travel like that." he said before looking at Keonhee. "You know a way?"

"Actually, I think I might. Gimme the reins, Geonhak." Keonhee said as he got out of the passenger seat.

"Geonhak?" I repeated.

"That's my name, don't wear it out." the guy said as he walked over to the passenger side.

I sighed as I walked back to Dongju's car. I explained to them what had happened and told Dongju to follow Keonhee. The car ahead of us took off and Dongju did the same.

"So the guy with Keonhee... his name is Geonhak." I said as I watched the car ahead of us.

"Geonhak? That sounds familiar." Dongju said as he kept his eyes on the road.

"Of course it does. Kim Geonhak, that upcoming soccer star." said Hwanwoong from the backseat.

I looked back at Hwanwoong who handed his phone to me. The guy in the picture resembled Geonhak in the blue car to a T. It then made sense why his attitude was shitty. He thought himself as superior. Geonhak was even ranked for handsomest men. Everything about Geonhak screamed arrogant, spoiled prick. I handed Hwanwoong his phone then sighed.

"We should've just left him." I said with a shake of my head.

"Was there a lot of bad publicity online?" Dongju asked curiously.

"No, but judging from his responses to people and his social media..." I said as I remembered a few tweets.

Keonhee suddenly made a right and ended up on the other side of the highway. Dongju braked and we all looked at the car.

"Well, it is another way." Hwanwoong said as he pet Carla.

"Will we follow? They already went on ahead." I asked Dongju.

"Might as well..." said Dongju as he turned right.

ㅠㅛㅠㅛ

Luck was on our side as we were able to get into Seoul with little trouble. Just like Chucheon, Seoul seemed eerily quiet. A piece of paper blew past as we drove around Hongdae.

"No one's here..." I said as I looked at the abandoned vehicles and stores.

"Wait!" Hwanwoong shouted, causing Dongju to slam on the brakes.

We looked at him as he typed on his phone.

"Really? You stopped us just-" Dongju started, but I silenced him as Hwanwoong put his phone to his ear.

"Who are you calling? Everyone is gone." I said softly.

Hwanwoong's eyes went from despair to shock instantly. His eyes welled up and he started to cry. Dongju and I looked at each other as Hwanwoong moved the phone from his ear and hung up.

"Hwan, I told you..." I said sadly.

"Go to 280 Guksang Ave." Hwanwoong said with his head lowered.

I motioned for Dongju to just go with it for now. After inputting the address, Dongju followed the GPS. We eventually arrived in front of a building and Hwanwoong had practically jumped out the car. I told Dongju to stay in case we needed to make a getaway. Hwanwoong opened the door with a key then hurried inside the building. I quickly followed him as it'd be bad if he went alone.

I wheezed as we had walked up to the fourth floor. Hwanwoong seemed to have boundless energy. I dragged myself to follow him and saw him rapidly pushing the buzzer.

"Hwan, are you-" I started then momentarily froze when I heard the sound of locks.

I ran towards Hwanwoong and pulled him away from the door with unease. The door opened and a flashily dressed man stepped out.

"Hwan!" he said.

Hwanwoong broke free from my hold and gave the man a hug. Were they friends? Family? Lovers? I could only watch in wonder as they continued to hug.

"You're okay... I thought I'd never see you again, Jo." said Hwanwoong as he pulled away.

"You couldn't imagine my surprise when I finally realized the strange silence and the fact that the couple next door had actually stopped arguing. Turns out no one was around." Jo had said.

"Youngjo, this is a serious situation. There are four other survivors besides us two. One of them is standing right there, another is downstairs waiting for us. Two more are in another car. We also reached a conclusion on how everyone disappeared." Hwanwoong rattled off as we made our way downstairs.

ㅠㅛㅠㅛ

"You never told us you were close friends with a known fashion designer, Hwan!" I said as Dongju drove around looking for a place to park so we could explore.

"You wouldn't have believed me if I said so." he replied with a shrug.

"We actually attended the same college for 3 years. Some things happened and I graduated before Hwan. I've been busy since then, but we met again at an event and the rest is history. To think we'd end up like this..." Youngjo said as he patted Hwanwoong's back.

Dongju parked the car and we all got out. I looked to Hwanwoong and watched as he walked away with Youngjo. I felt myself frown as I was looking forward to his company.

"Well, lets get a move on, Seoho." Dongju said as he walked in the opposite direction.

I glanced back at them before quietly following behind Dongju. I found myself wandering around as I hadn't really gotten the chance to explore Hongdae. I looked around then noticed I had gotten separated from Dongju. I backtracked and found myself more lost than before. I took out my phone and dialed Dongju's number.

"Dude, where are you?" Dongju's voice crackled as the wind blew into the mic.

"Uh, I don't know..." I replied before finding a street sign to repeat to him.

"Stay put. I'll come to you. Next time, don't wander off." Dongju scolded before hanging up.

I ducked into a store as I started to get hot. I looked around then noticed a variety of drinks off to the back. I did feel a bit guilty just taking without paying, but the world was in peril. I looked out the window then walked closer as I wanted to get a better look. I left the store then jogged over to the building across the street. Something green stuck out from under the building. I pulled on it then fell back. It was stuck under pretty well. I moved to pull on it again then screeched at the sight of it moving and growing.

"Seoho!?" I heard Dongju call out.

He stopped by my side then hit my arm. My mind was too focused on the now still green thing that poked out.

"Don't wander off on your own again. Something bad could've happened." Dongju scolded again before shaking me slightly. "Hey, say something."

"We're not safe..." I mumbled as I stood up and walked away.


	6. Discord

We all gathered together and discussed our findings. As expected, no one else had been found besides Youngjo. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary like back in Chuncheon. I felt something touch my side then smiled at the sight of Carla.

"I'll be back. I'm gonna walk with her for a bit." I said as I guided Carla away.

I got lost in my thoughts as Carla ran rampant ahead of me. What was that green thing I saw? It looked like a plant, but it didn't at the same time. I was knocked off balance by Carla and fell to the ground. She started to lick my face, but I quickly stopped her. She sat down while looking at me.

"You weren't getting proper attention huh? I apologize." I said as I stood up.

I looked around for something we could play fetch with. I found a stick then noticed Carla's tail had started to wag faster. She was such a simple thing which made her cuter. I threw the stick then felt my phone vibrate.

"Yeah?" I said as I cleverly threw the saliva covered stick.

"Keonhee and Dongju fought again and took off in the cars. Geonhak is bitching and taking his anger out on us because Keonhee took his car. This spiraled downwards too fast..." Hwanwoong said. "Hey, don't hit him!"

I opened my mouth to speak, but I no longer heard the wind in the background. Carla came back with the stick and looked at me expectantly. I sighed then threw the stick again. They couldn't always rely on me to fix the arguments. I heard Carla whine then hurried over to see what it was. Her paw had been seized by one of those green things. My strength compared to it was little to nothing. I took out my swiss army knife and tried everything. After quite a few pokes with the knife, it finally let go.

"You're okay now. Calm down." I said as I stroked her fur. I could feel her shaking.

It left a hole in the ground, so I picked up Carla's stick and poked into it. I had watched enough TV shows and movies to know you shouldn't, but I did anyway. And as expected, it resulted in a bad outcome. Something long and green shot out from the hole and swayed in the air. I quickly grabbed Carla and ran. I looked back then screamed as it started to descend on us. I quickly moved over then felt the ground shake as it landed just inches away from us. I repeatedly apologized to the earth as I narrowly dodged each attack.

We managed to get far enough where it could flail around and not reach us. I held onto Carla tightly in fear that she'd run off and get hit. I called Hwanwoong and felt relief when he finally answered.

"I meant to call. Are you okay? We felt the ground shake slightly. Did you?" Hwanwoong asked worriedly.

"I was the cause of it... Carla, wait-" I said then cursed as she escaped from my arms.

I chased after her then gasped as she yelped. The thing had hit her and sent her flying. I quickly ran to her and ended up getting hit as well. My side hurt more than a heartbreak. I crawled over to Carla who lied in her own blood. I felt tears sting my eyes as she tried getting up on her own.

"Carla, don't move... please..." I pleaded as I touched her.

I made a noise as it hit me square on the ass. I took off my shirt and wrapped it tightly around her body, shielding her from the constant blows with my own. Soon the pain stopped and I looked back to see it retreating back into the hole.

"Seoho!" a voice yelled from afar.

I turned around and saw Hwanwoong, Youngjo and Geonhak running in my direction.

"You're shirtless..." Youngjo pointed out.

I looked at Hwanwoong who seemed concentrated on something.

"The dog, where is she?" Geonhak asked.

"It's best if we don't move her too much. None of us are doctors which makes this situation worse..." I said while ruffling my hair.

"Keonhee and Dongju aren't doctors?" Geonhak asked.

I shook my head then told him our professions. Geonhak sighed then knelt beside Carla. I started to feel guilty as had I not freed her from the leash, maybe she would've gotten away on her own and probably lived. Instead, herr she was bleeding and possibly on the verge of death.

ㅠㅛㅠㅛ

"I'm amazed. You really think on your feet." Hwanwoong said as he looked at me.

"There was a 50/50 chance and I was willing to take it. Carla deserves better." I said as I remembered I was shirtless. "I'll be back."

I entered a store then quickly looked for a suitable shirt. I decided on a white shirt with a navy blue feather pattern. I walked out and received judgmental looks from the others.

"Oh please, as if you haven't been swiping food and gas." I shot back with a huff.

"Fine, we'll let it go." Hwanwoong said with a laugh. "The shirt suits you."

"Thanks." I said with a smile.

He quickly looked away and turned his attention to Carla. I pouted as Carla seemed more important to him than us.

"First order of business is to find Keonhee and Dongju. After that I have something to share." I said as we walked around. "We'll split two two."

I reached out to Hwanwoong, but he simply joined arms with Youngjo. I frowned as it started looking too coincidental.

"Hey, your turn to hold her." Geonhak said before gently handing Carla over.

I let her lick my hand as we walked around looking for either car. I glanced at Geonhak who didn't seem intent on starting conversation.

"So, you play soccer?" I asked, knowing the answer was obvious. "Yeah" was all he said. "When did you start playing?"

"About 10 I guess. What about you? When did you know the military was your calling?" he asked as we checked inside cars that looked vaguely familiar.

"Around 16. Maybe 17. Everyone makes joining the military out to be some god awful thing, as if you're selling your soul to the devil. It's not as bad as people make it out to be." I said as I quieted Carla's whimpering.

"Really? That's interesting to know." said Geonhak as we crossed the street. "Everyone makes it seem like you're certain to die if you join."

I shook my head. There were other positions besides the ones meant for battle. I looked to my right then squinted. My eyes widened and I rushed over to the car. Geonhak eventually followed suit then knocked on the window for me. Keonhee had fallen asleep behind the wheel. After numerous knocks, Keonhee finally woke up.

"What happened to her?" asked Keonhee as I placed Carla in the backseat.

"I'll explain, but we need everyone to be together." I said as I patted Carla's head. "And just one thing, Keonhee."

I asked him to step out the car. He obliged and I gave him a swift punch to the face. He babied his cheek as I glared at him.

"Do you always have to go and cause trouble with Dongju?" I asked tiredly.

"He started it. He's too hot tempered, Seoho." said Keonhee as he slid into the passenger seat.

I sat in the backseat with Carla as Geonhak headed in the direction that the other two went in.

"It doesn't matter who instigated it, what matters is how you handle it. And the both of you handled it poorly to the point it's shameful. You're both adults, try to act like it." I said as I gave Carla attention.

"Seoho has a point, Keon." said Geonhak as he looked around.

"I'm not promising anything, but I'll try." said Keonhee with a huff.

It was a start, and I was willing to nurture it to the point they say each other in a good light.


	7. Rely On Me

We sat in a circle in an air conditioned room in a hotel late at night. I looked at each of them before speaking.

"I discovered something weird the day before. And earlier today, Carla and I were attacked by that same thing. It looks like a plant root, but it's green and not brown, which makes me hesitant to call it a plant. Regretfully, I didn't take photos, but who would think of taking one when your life was at stake?" I said, making emphases when necessary. "Because of that thing, it severely injured Carla and left me with plenty of bruises. In other words, the planet isn't afraid to attack us survivors if we prompt it to."

They looked at me in disbelief, but didn't voice it. They had every right to disbelieve it, but they knew if it was possible for every single human to instantly disappear, what I had said couldn't be that far fetched. I patiently waited for them to collect their thoughts.

"It makes sense, but doesn't. The planet let us survive, but won't hesitate to attack us." said Youngjo in wonder.

"Maybe it trusts us to do something?" Keonhee laid out.

"Like what? Go on some emotional journey to save mankind and the planet? Hard pass." Dongju scoffed then apologized when I gave him a look.

"For now, lets just try to figure out what our next step is." I said, hoping to steer the conversation.

"For staters, we don't even know if there are other survivors. Even if there are, there's no guarantee the planet hasn't already swallowed them." said Hwanwoong with a serious look. "What I'm saying is, let's just work with who we have now."

"About that strange plant thing, how did you beat it? It'd be good to know for the future." Geonhak asked.

"I didn't. Believe me if you will, but those things are stronger than a human's raw strength. I managed to free Carla by poking it with something sharp. Well, it was more like stabbing, but..." I said as I recalled memories.

I briefly looked back and saw a sleeping Carla. I smiled softly then turned my attention back to the discussion. I felt something brush the back of my hand, but nothing was there when I looked. I glanced at Hwanwoong who happily discussed personal matters with Youngjo. Geonhak and Keonhee had gone into one of the bedrooms for whatever reason, and Dongju had his eyes glued to his phone. I internally sighed and found my legs leading me to the front door.

ㅠㅛㅠㅛ

I found myself in the lobby then slumped into a chair. We knew what had happened to everyone, we knew we had to do something and we knew the planet would retaliate if it felt like it. The big question was what would fix everything? Was there some monster we had to kill? Some item we had to return? None of us went into floriculture nor the science field. What could we do? A teacher, an athlete, a dance instructor, a fashion designer, an actor and a solider. I covered my face as I slumped lower into the seat.

"Seoho?" a voice called out.

"Go away." I mumbled.

I felt someone move my hands and Hwanwoong's face came into sight. He gave me a small smile as he held my hands.

"Did you want to be alone?" he asked as he sat in front of me.

"Maybe." I replied as I closed my eyes.

"I know, the heft of the situation worsened and it's a lot to swallow. We all feel it. Talking to someone might make you feel better." Hwanwoong said as he rubbed the back of my hands with his thumbs.

I opened my eyes and momentarily looked at the ceiling before looking at Hwanwoong. Maybe he was right. Maybe expressing my feelings would make me feel better. I sighed then told him everything I was feeling. Loneliness knowing my friends were gone. Sadness knowing my family had gone with everyone. Joy when I met the five of them. Guilt when I let Carla get hurt because of me. The bit of rejection when he walked off with Youngjo both times we split up to search. Hwanwoong's serious gaze never left mine as I talked. I had finished speaking and quietly waited.

"I can't say I understand, because there are some things that I haven't experienced, but I can relate them to something of equal value in my own life and understand the emotion." said Hwanwoong as he squeezed my hands. "Don't feel like you don't have anyone to talk to. You have us, me especially."

I smiled softly then pulled him close. I hugged him tight, afraid that he'd leave if I didn't. The entire time it felt as if I had to bear my own burdens alone. It was the only thing I've ever done. I didn't know how to express myself to anyone as I was constantly busy and never had time to keep the bonds between us strong. And here sat someone I never even knew existed until this ordeal occurred, telling me that I could just breathe and say exactly what I needed to. I felt his hand run through my hair briefly before tapping me to let go.

"Let's head back upstairs and decide on the rooming. Maybe we should split up Keonhee and Dongju." said Hwanwoong as he lifted me to my feet.

"I vote against that. You should've seen them last time." I said before telling him my reasoning.

ㅠㅛㅠㅛ

I lied on the couch in the dark as the others had gone to sleep. I looked behind me and saw Carla sleeping peacefully behind me. It's been a few days since this all started, but in reality it feels like weeks. I heard a door open and sat up to see what it was.

"Hwan...?" I said as he walked over to me with a pillow in hand.

"I couldn't just let you sleep alone tonight." he said in a hushed voice.

"I get that, but, there's hardly any room..." I stated.

He pulled me off the couch then popped out a bed. I looked on in surprise. How did he know a bed was there?

"There. Now let's get some sleep." he said as he placed the pillows and sheet.

"Are you sure? I-" I said, but he cut me off.

"I know. You snore, but, it didn't sit okay with me..." said Hwanwoong as he motioned for me to get under the sheet.

I climbed into bed with him and found it somewhat easier to fall asleep. It wasn't long before I fell into a deep sleep.

ㅠㅛㅠㅛ

I opened my eyes and took in my surroundings. My mind had caught itself up then registered that something was touching me. I looked at my body and saw an arm going across my body. I looked to my left and saw Hwanwoong snuggled up against me. It would've been cute if it weren't for the fact that it was hot out. I poked his body and watched as he stirred.

"Morning already? I- Oh." Hwanwoong said as he observed our positions. "I'm sorry. I should've put a pillow between us."

"It's fine. It'd be a different story if it you were groping me." I said as I sat up.

"Still, I shouldn't have put my hands on you." apologized Hwanwoong quietly.

I waved it off then slid out of bed. I felt we all deserved a break and should head out to do something fun. I looked at Hwanwoong who still seemed troubled over his unconscious actions. I internally sighed then had him look at me. I proceeded to place my hand on his chest as a way to get even.

"Better?" I asked.

"I guess." he said as he got out of bed as well.

"Why don't we all head out somewhere and kick back for a while? After everything that's happened, we deserve a small break." I suggested as we looked out the window.

"How about the beach?" he said as he drew invisible shapes on the window.

"Sounds good to me. Let's tell the others when they get up." I said as I briefly ruffled Hwanwoong's hair.

ㅠㅛㅠㅛ

Dongju blasted summer tunes as we drove down the road with the windows all the way down. I looked back and saw Keonhee enjoying the music from Geonhak's car.

"Seoho, I think this was the best idea. Though, none of us have swim trunks." Dongju said as he stopped at a light.

"We can swim nude." Youngjo said with a smirk. "Or are you unconfident with your size?"

They burst into laughter at Dongju's silence. His face and ears were tinted terribly.

"Let the guy live. He's younger than us, so he may still be growing." I said, hoping to lessen the burn.

"True. Now that we're on the topic, just how big do you think those two behind us are?" said Youngjo as he glanced back.

We found ourselves in a heated discussion over who's dick was bigger. Somehow the conversation had drifted from dick size to romance.

"So, how many relationships have you been in, Dongju?" asked Youngjo with a sly look.

"3. And you?" Dongju replied.

"1 sadly. People these days are only after looks and money. And I seem to have too much of both." Youngjo said with a shrug.

"What about you, Hwan?" I asked.

"I'd rather not say..." he replied quietly.

"Dude, everyone wanted you. You were the college's most desired guy. Didn't you date like, 8 people? Oh, remember that one girl-" Youngjo said until Hwanwoong hit him in the face.

No other questions were asked as we made our way to the beach. A part of me wanted to know more about Hwanwoong's past, but seeing as how upset he got, he clearly didn't want anyone to know. Though, I could understand, we weren't exactly that close to each other.


	8. Retaliation

I sat on the towel as the three younger guys had gone into the water. Geonhak opted for staying with the cars and sleeping. Youngjo yawned as he watched them along with me.

"They make you feel old, don't they?" Youngjo asked as he scrolled through Dongju's music library.

"A bit, yeah. But I think it's good that they're around. Help us feel that we're not just relics who shit on the youth of today like our parents." I joked as Keonhee dunked Dongju. "So, you're close with Hwan?"

"Indeed. Why? You want to know things?" he asked before finally deciding on a song.

"Just one thing. Did he... sleep with a lot of people back in college?" I asked as I watched Hwanwoong.

"Hm, his body count outweighs the number of people he dated. Let's just leave it at that." Youngjo said as he lied down before closing his eyes.

I shouldn't have pried as it wasn't any of my business, but hearing that he slept with a lot of people wasn't exactly a good thing. Why did I even want to know? I mentally scolded myself then left to head back to the cars. I asked Geonhak for the keys to Dongju's car then locked myself in as I left a window open.

"Why'd you come back up here?" I heard Geonhak ask.

"The beach didn't seem as relaxing as I hoped." I replied flatly.

"Oh? Says the one who presented the idea." Geonhak said smugly.

"Look, just leave me alone. We're going to have to face reality after all of this anyway." I said with a somber tone.

"We may not be on the best of terms, but if you need to get something off your chest, just speak. Don't let it build up." said Geonhak as he reached in to unlock the door.

I silently mulled it over. Was it a good idea to say anything? It wasn't like he was present for either conversation.

"Would your outlook on someone you know change if you knew they fucked a lot of people?" I asked quietly.

"Mostly no. If we're like, close, then no. But if we were getting to know each other, I'd be a bit wary. But yeah, my answer is no. Who they sleep with and how many shouldn't be the make or break it. Always judge them based on character." Geonhak said.

He was right. Why was I going to let something like that keep me from seeing who Hwanwoong really was? In reality, he could be a really sweet and honest guy. I mentally scolded myself for being such a fool.

"Ah, the pipsqueak is heading this way." he said as he looked behind him.

"Who?" I said, moving to the front seats.

I spotted Hwanwoong running towards us barefoot.

"You idiot, why didn't you put on your shoes? You'll cut yourself on something." I scolded as he slowed to a stop in front of us.

"Well, I'm going back to sleep." said Geonhak as he left the passenger seat.

"Don't you want to get wet?" Hwanwoong asked as he pulled me out of the car.

"Not really." I replied, pulling away from his wet hands.

He then splashed me with water then ran away. I pushed my wet hair out of my face and ran after him.

"You're so dead Yeo Hwanwoong!" I yelled as I chased him down.

I tackled him down then sat on top of him. He wiggled underneath me as I asked for Dongju to bring over sea water.

"You wouldn't." Hwanwoong said in surprise.

"Watch me." I teased as I had Dongju hold it over his head. "Just apologize and I'll let you go."

"I'm sorry, Seoho." he said.

I accepted his apology then motioned for Dongju to do it after I got up. I laughed hysterically as I ran away.

"You liar!" Hwanwoong yelled as he came after me.

My body soon met the sand as Hwanwoong had tackled me down. I turned onto my back then felt my wrists being pinned down. I looked up and met his gaze. I started to feel weirded out as he didn't say anything and only stared. What was going through his mind? Was there sand in a weird spot?

"Hwan..." I softly called out.

He looked as if he was going to say something, but instead he let me go and ran back to the others. I sat up in confusion at his actions. Was I making a scary face? Did I smell? Was I not supposed to call his name? My mind swirled with questions as I watched him splash Youngjo who had been dragged towards the ocean by Dongju.

ㅠㅛㅠㅛ

Music played as we drove back to the hotel after a day at the beach. Hwanwoong and I never got a chance to talk about why he took off as he was either talking to Youngjo or avoiding me. Even now they chattered on about celebrities and who their old crushes were. I felt something touch me and saw it was Dongju. He moved his head towards the duo behind us with a questioning look.

"I wish I knew." I replied before looking out the open window.

I locked the door behind us then distributed clothes amongst the six of us to change into so the ones we wore today could be cleaned. I purposefully kept Hwanwoong's in the bag so he'd have a reason to talk to me.

"I'll shower first." Keonhee said before taking off.

"There's another one in the bedroom. You go, Youngjo." I said as pushed him into the room.

Only Geonhak, Hwanwoong, Dongju and I remained. I noticed Dongju had led Geonhak into the other bedroom and left Hwanwoong and I alone. My mouth suddenly felt dry as I didn't know how to start. I sighed and decided being straightforward was best.

"Hwan, why did you run back at the beach...?" I asked lowly.

He didn't answer me. In fact, he wasn't even looking at me. I didn't like the way he was avoiding it.

"Hwan, just tell me. It's better to talk things out. Did I do something?" I said with worry.

"It wasn't anything. Let's just forget it happened." he finally said.

"If that's what you want." I replied a bit relieved knowing it wasn't serious.

He nodded and didn't say anything else. I handed him the bag that held his clothes. Despite clearing it up, the air around us still felt awkward. Keonhee had come out of the bathroom and motioned for someone go on ahead in. Just as I was about to go, Geonhak had dashed out the room and into the bathroom in the blink of an eye. We looked at Dongju who poked his head out of the room.

"Care to... explain?" Keonhee asked slowly.

"Some things are better left unsaid." Dongju said then went into the other room as Youngjo had come out.

We looked at each other in confusion as we tried proceeding what just happened.

"Anyway... Have you showered yet, Hwan?" Youngjo asked as he slid next to Hwanwoong.

I looked at Keonhee who simply walked into the room Dongju left. I found myself heading back down to the lobby for some deep thinking.

ㅠㅛㅠㅛ

I rubbed my eyes and saw I had fallen asleep in the lobby. I checked my phone and confirmed that it was late into the night. The others were probably asleep. I slowly got out of the chair then stepped outside to bask in the cool night air. I stepped forward and found my face meeting the concrete. I groaned then looked to see what I tripped on. Fear took over me as I recognized the color and length. I noticed it was wrapped around the entirety of the hotel from bottom to top. Luckily it hadn't applied any pressure as it didn't look damaged.

Was heading back inside to wake them a better move than calling? I made up my mind and rushed back inside to wake them up. I felt the building shake and small pieces of the ceiling had hit the floor. It was trying to get rid of us in one swoop. I took the stairs up and hoped I'd reach them in time.

I opened the door then held onto the door frame as the building shook more violently. A window broke. I burst into the rooms, violently shaking them awake. They slowly arose then widened their eyes when the building shook. I explained what was going on as I rushed them out the room.

"We can't get any peace can we?" Keonhee said exasperated.

"We all knew that break was going to be short lived." I said as we hopped over debris on the stairs.

I heard someone yelp from behind me and sent everyone tumbling down the stairs.

"Ugh, get off! You're all so heavy!" someone complained from underneath.

We all climbed off then gasped as a chuck of the ceiling had fallen right next to us. We heard a pained cry and looked for the source. A large piece of debris had fallen onto Keonhee's foot. We lifted it off then had him lean against someone as we quickly exited the building. Just as we exited, the entire building was crushed by the tendril's strength. They sat Keonhee down as we double checked that everyone was accounted for.

"What the fucking hell..." Geonhak said out loud.

He said exactly what we were all thinking. Was the Earth upset we took a break? I frowned as I didn't think it would retaliate in response to something insignificant. However, this incident just made it clearer that there wasn't any time to play around and that helping everyone came first.

"Wait, where's...?" Dongju said as he looked around.

We all gave him a weird look then realized what he meant. I felt my heart sink and I suddenly felt unsteady. I felt Hwanwoong hug me from the side with little sobs. We all sat in silence as we felt immense remorse.


	9. The Bigger Picture

Days passed without much of anything happening. However, I couldn't help but notice more and more of the tendrils had started appearing as small sprouts, some bigger than others. No matter where we searched, not even the tiniest clue on fixing things presented itself to us. At this point I was ready to give up. And judging morale and communication wise, the others seemed to be thinking the same thing. I wandered around and couldn't help but remember how happy and carefree Carla was until the incident. Carla strangely resembled us in a way.

We traveled to different places in Seoul and ended up making the last stop Insadong before we moved on. Though it was obvious the others were considering going back home, wherever that was. I stopped in front of a sprout then squatted. I gave it a piece of food then looked on in surprise as it wiggled then turned grayish-brown. What did that mean? I poked inside the hole it was in and watched as it shot out.

I moved back, anticipating an attack then blinked as it picked me up instead. The air became slightly thinner, but the aerial view was amazing. I couldn't see the others, but they could probably see me. Strangely, I didn't feel as if my life was in danger. I was soon traveling back down towards the ground and being safely placed back on my feet. Both the tendril and hole had completely disappeared. Was the Earth hungry? If that was the case, why did it go through such lengths to swallow humans? Was it going to eat them? A gruesome image filled my mind as I continued to think about it.

"Seoho! Are you okay!?" I heard someone shout.

I turned around and saw Dongju running towards me at top speed. He leaped towards me and out of reflex I sidestepped. He hit the ground and I profusely apologized for letting him fall. Usually someone would avoid something that's flying towards them.

"I'm fine, but you clearly aren't..." I said as I helped him up.

"You were up in the air being held by a root. Are you sure you're okay?" he asked as he checked his face.

"It's fun actually." I said with a smile.

He looked at me like a deer in headlights.

"Fun? How could you say that after how it hurt both you and Carla?" asked Dongju seriously.

"Come. Stand right there." I said as I directed him to a sprout before discreetly giving it food.

Soon Dongju was being lifted into the air. He flailed around then eventually stopped and looked around. I patiently waited as his sounds of terror had long since become sounds of excitement. The tendril started to come down with Dongju. He gently landed on his feet then shook me by the shoulders.

"What the actual god damn fuck?" he said, emphasizing the word fuck.

"I don't know, I just learned of it too." I replied as I felt the spot where the hole used to be. "Maybe the Earth needs food is what I'm guessing."

"Food? What kind of food?" Dongju pressed as he looked on with me.

"Not sure, but it seems to like this." I said as I held up the snack. "But even then, is it only human food... if so that's going to be problematic."

"Let's go tell the others." said Dongju.

"Go ahead. I'll stay and study them a bit more." I said as I looked for another sprout.

"Then I'll stick with you." he replied then patted my back.

I poured a bit of juice on the sprout, but nothing happened. I tried water and watched as it turned grayish-brown. Then it clicked.

"Nourishment is what it needs." I said the same way someone would say eureka.

"Really..." said Dongju as he poked another sprout. "Will there be enough water and food though?"

I sighed as I sat on my bum. Dongju had a point. Where were we supposed to bring it anyway? I looked at Dongju who sat down next to me. We didn't say anything to each other as a light dry wind blew around us. The sun was beating down on us and I was certain I had started to sweat a bit.

"Do you think we'll be able to do it?" Dongju asked, breaking the awful silence that the Earth had let us in.

"Don't know until we try." I replied, downing the rest of the juice.

We soon heard voices behind us, so we turned around and saw the other four walking towards us. We waved them down then rose from our spots on the street.

"So, learn anything? Any clues?" Keonhee asked as he leaned against Geonhak.

"We know what the Earth needs." Dongju said with his hands on his hips. They quietly waited for him to speak. "Nourishment."

They looked at us in confusion. I figured they would, so I saved the rest of the snack to demonstrate. I tossed a piece over to the sprout then heard them gasp in awe.

"What the fuck?" Geonhak said as he watched me being lifted up into the air.

I was placed back down and I showed them that I was perfectly fine.

"So, are we to feed all of these sprouts and tendrils with... corn snack?" Youngjo asked in unease.

"I don't think so. There's probably a core somewhere. Maybe deep beneath the Earth." I said as I started to speculate. "Or maybe it's out in the ocean."

So many places came to mind where a core could be that I started to feel unsure about it all as well. I then felt someone squeeze my arm.

"Hwan..." I said in almost a whisper.

"There's 6 of us in total. We can figure it out together. Don't stress too much." he said with a smile.

I started to feel less anxious and more relaxed after hearing his words. Hwanwoong had to have some magic power because of how quickly I felt better. He gave me another smile before rounding everyone together again.

"So, let's put our heads together and try to determine a location." I said as we started to walk, trying to decide on a place to crash and cool off.

"What if, and it's just a what if, there's more than one core?" asked Keonhee.

"Let's not jinx it. It took weeks to finally learn what we needed to do." Youngjo complained.

We all lightly laughed and it was then I noticed the brief yet warming unity. None of us were at each other's throat, trying to prove their opinions were superior. Maybe it had finally sank in that we were all each other had. I hugged Hwanwoong from behind with a stupid grin on my face.

"Hey, it's too hot for this." Hwanwoong complained while doing very little to pry me off.

"I'm just really happy. Not about our situation, but haven't you noticed as well?" I said in hushed voice. "We're all getting along, especially those two."

He stared for a while then nodded. I couldn't remember when Keonhee and Dongju last argued. We quietly watched as Dongju asked Keonhee about his ankle. I felt Youngjo pull Hwanwoong away from me, leaving me all alone. I sighed then put my hands in my pockets. Good things never last long.

ㅠㅛㅠㅛ

I stood off alone while the others sat and chatted about possible locations. If a core did happen to be in another country, how would we get there? I doubted any of us learned how to fly a plane or operate a ship. We were basically grounded.

"Hey." I heard Hwanwoong say from behind me. "What's on your mind?"

"It's great we're thinking of locations, but considering the others outside of South Korea..." I trailed off as I looked at the sky. "I doubt any of us know other means of transportation."

Hwanwoong leaned against me in silence. I peered down at his face in hopes of learning what was on his mind.

"I may have operated a plane before." he said before taking a bite out of his ice cream.

"Was it only once?" I asked cautiously.

"About a week's worth. I know enough to take off, land and one or two emergency measures." he replied then looked at me. "I wouldn't bet on it though."

I held him by his shoulders and briefly searched his face.

"You're all we got, Hwan. Even if it's a 0.01% chance of success." I said with a serious tone.

He quietly nodded then looked back towards the group. Three of them had fallen asleep while Youngjo positioned them in more comfortable positions.

"Can't believe they're already tired." I said with a shake of my head.

"You don't sleep enough." said Hwanwoong quietly.

I looked at him hoping he would repeat what he said. He simply gave me a sheepish smile before putting the rest of his ice cream in my mouth. I would've gotten mad, but I liked the flavor he chose.

"Maybe we should sleep too." he said while making himself comfortable on the floor.

I shook my head while finishing the rest of the ice cream. Youngjo had closed his eyes as well, so someone had to stay watch. Hwanwoong pulled me down to the floor then pulled his smaller frame atop my own body.

"This is probably the only way I can get you to lay down and sleep." he said while looking at me with his round eyes.

I remained silent as I averted my gaze from his. He tightened his hold on me and I felt him get more comfortable. I shifted my sight back to him and found it slightly adorable. I let my body move on its own as it held Hwanwoong in it's arms before rolling onto it's side.


	10. SK✈️ CA

"Is this legal?" Dongju asked as we boarded a plane.

"Anything is legal until the people come back." Geonhak said as he made himself comfortable.

"Do we have enough fuel for a straight shot there?" Keonhee asked as Youngjo got him settled in.

I looked at Hwanwoong who looked around the cockpit. He gave me a thumbs up and I relayed the message to the others. I looked back at Hwanwoong then interlaced our fingers.

"Don't be so nervous. Sure, our lives are in your hands, but we trust you, okay? We all got on the plane, right?" I said as I gave his hand a squeeze.

He quickly looked away from me then mumbled that I was embarrassing him. I let out a small laugh and assured him that wasn't my intention. I reached for the intercom and asked them if they were ready to take off. Loud voices in agreement sounded from behind us. I gave Hwanwoong a nod and told him to move when he was ready.

ㅠㅛㅠㅛ

I heard footsteps approach us then felt someone drape an arm over my shoulder.

"I really can't believe it. We're going to a whole new country." Dongju said as he inspected the panel.

"Don't touch anything." I said sharply. It was bad enough Hwanwoong still looked slightly nervous. "Go sit back down."

"Yes mom." he said sarcastically before leaving.

"Thanks..." said Hwanwoong in a low voice.

"I know what it's like. Being nervous and having someone else around making you more nervous, I mean." I explained quickly.

He lightly laughed and seemed less tense. Perhaps just being up here with him was doing him some good. I sat back in my seat and softly hummed a song I had grown to like.

"That song... its my favorite." Hwanwoong said as he kept his eyes straight ahead.

"Really? I recently got into it." I said, now singing instead of humming.

He slowly eased his way in and started to create a harmony with me. I pressed on the intercom so the others could hear us better.

"You have a great throat, Seoho!" Geonhak shouted from the back.

I erupted into laughter at his random declaration. Hwanwoong had also laughed as well. I yelled my thanks back to him before going back to singing with Hwanwoong.

ㅠㅛㅠㅛ

We all sat in silence as we processed everything that had happened. I finally reached out and pressed the intercom. It magically crackled to life.

"Anyone dead?" I asked.

I received a hit from Hwanwoong who looked ticked off. I left my seat and headed back to where the others were. They seemed okay for the most part. I tapped Dongju who seemed to be knocked unconscious.

"Man down!" I shouted to Hwanwoong as I checked him over. There didn't seem to be any external injuries or broken bones. "He's just knocked out."

We looked at the banged up plane and wondered how in the world we didn't get hurt. Geonhak lifted Dongju up and complained that Dongju wasn't exactly light. We quickly made our way into the airport then sat down to collect ourselves. I let out a loud sigh and accidentally gained their attention. I apologized and told them it wasn't anything.

"Well, now what do we do?" Keonhee asked.

"Explore Cali. Duh." Youngjo said with his hands on his hips.

We watched Youngjo pull Hwanwoong along with him as he happily talked about places he wanted to visit. I looked at Geonhak who left Dongju in Keonhee's care. I sat next to Keonhee then peered at his ankle before looking at him.

"How's your ankle...?" I asked.

"It hurts when I put weight on it, but otherwise it's alright." he replied as he felt Dongju's pulse.

"That's good." I said as I peered at Dongju's sleeping face.

I quietly watched as Keonhee looked at Dongju then poked his cheek a few times.

"He's cute and more pleasant when quiet." Keonhee said in a hushed voice.

"Was that an insult?" I said with my arms crossed.

Keonhee remained silent as he sat back with his eyes closed. His silence made me slightly concerned. I didn't want them to start fighting again. We heard a groan and saw Dongju starting to move.

"My head fucking hurts..." he groaned as he looked around then rested his gaze on Keonhee. "Did you do this to me?"

"I would've killed you by now if it weren't for our current situation." Keonhee hissed.

"Both of you, stop. Now, let's go catch up with the others before we lose them." I said as I dragged Keonhee away.

"Could you- ow- at least let me- ow- lean against you?" said Keonhee in a pained voice.

I softly apologized then looked back to see Dongju not too far behind us. Dongju gave me a look before kicking Keonhee in the back of his knee. Keonhee had let go of me and limped after Dongju who taunted him along the way. I let out a tired sigh as it was impossible to tell what was going on between the two at this point.

ㅠㅛㅠㅛ

"The Hollywood sign!" Hwanwoong said excitedly.

"Hwanwoong, it's just huge letters propped up on a hill. Calm down." Geonhak said flatly.

Youngjo started hitting Geonhak and chased him around as he had fled. I looked at Hwanwoong who looked somewhat deflated. I pulled him close to my side then patted his arm.

"Don't listen to him. You're free to get excited about whatever you want." I said as we walked down the block.

"It seems silly doesn't it... a grown man getting excited over something small like that." said Hwanwoong in a tiny voice.

I flicked his forehead, causing him to look at me.

"It's not silly. It's people like Geonhak who don't have fun in life." I said, giving his arm another pat.

I felt something touch my hand and saw it was his own hand. I looked at him as he kept his head low.

"You always know how to make me feel better... thanks, Seo." he said softly before looking up at me with redden cheeks. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to just give you a nickname like that..."

I chuckled heartily and found myself ruffling his hair. I caught myself thinking he looked cute this way. The thought surprised me and I pulled away from him.

"It's fine calling me Seo. Let's hurry and see if Geonhak is still breathing." I said as I quickened my pace.

ㅠㅛㅠㅛ

We looked around and confirmed all of America had probably been affected as well. It was then safe to assume that the entire world had been swallowed. The thought sank in and scared me. We were the only 6 humans left. Billions of people were unknowingly depending on us to save them. I stopped walking as I felt myself trembling. I started having a shortness of breath. Or was it hyperventilation? All I knew was that I was panicking and making my condition worse.

"Seo!" I heard Hwanwoong call out as I held onto a pole.

He looked me over then told me to try and take deep breaths. It was easier said than done. He held my hand as he fanned me. The others came over and helped me calm down. I let my body fall against Hwanwoong as I felt worn out.

"Great, we lost our one functioning brain cell." Geonhak sighed.

"You make it seem like he's dead." Youngjo said as he glared at Geonhak.

"Is that tension I feel from Youngjo and Geonhak?" Dongju said with wide eyes.

"Oh, as if you and Keonhee are the best of friends." Hwanwoong said sharply.

They all started to argue as I quietly listened on. It started to become unbearable.

"Shut the fuck up! All of you!" I yelled then gripped Hwanwoong tighter as I felt a bit lightheaded.

They all quieted down and focused on me. Hwanwoong looked at me with worry as he checked me over. I pushed his hand away then pointed at all of them.

"Just when I thought we were all finally getting along, you're quick to attack each other over the smallest things! Why can't you argue over important things like 'What will we do if we're attacked by the Earth again?' or 'What will we do if someone gets badly injured?'? Why is it so hard for you to just unite long enough so we can get out of this situation!?" I screamed before pulling away from Hwanwoong and wobbling off.

I was frustrated, tired, stressed, basically any negative emotion you could name. I just wanted a peaceful summer. Go to work, talk to friends and colleagues, go home and do it all over like I have been for the past two years. The more I thought about my day the more routine and robotic it sounded. I regretted complaining about it, wishing for something unexpected and spectacular. I was left on Earth with 5 strangers who would argue over which way a cookie should be eaten. I let my tears fall.

I wanted to give up. Why didn't I go with everyone else? With the people I knew and loved? Everything I've been doing felt pointless. There were so many places where our goal could be. Hell, there could even be multiple goals. All of it was too much for me. I cried harder as I wandered down the streets, not even sure of what I would even do next. I felt something grab my ankle and sent me face first into the concrete. I looked and saw a sprout had gotten me. I reached to free myself then shrieked as it grew in length and dragged me up in the air by my ankle. Fear overcame me as I dangled high above by my ankle. I would most likely die from this height.

"Seoho!" a voice shouted from below.

Suddenly another tendril shot out from beside the one that held me and attacked them. I started to panic as I felt my ankle slipping from its hold. I didn't want to die, especially through such a painful method. I had only wanted to join the swallowed humans. Was it saying they were all dead? I watched as they "beat up" on the tendril and completely forgot my peril.

"I'm going to fucking die at this rate you idiots!" I shouted in a trembling voice.

Soon the green tendril turned a familiar color and they were soon being lifted up to my height. They pulled me free and dowsed the other tendril with water. It brought us back down before disappearing completely. They all looked at each other before pushing Geonhak towards me.

"We're... sorry, Seoho. We let our emotions get carried away and the current situation isn't helping at all. We'll try harder to tolerate each other so we can get back to our normal lives." he said while avoiding eye contact.

I felt myself smile as they patted Geonhak's back then all of them giving me smiles. They would probably end up arguing again, but hearing they'd try working it out was a good start.


	11. Geonhak's Feelings

"I can't believe we just hijacked a car." Hwanwoong said in disbelief.

They happily chattered as I drove us around. I had never driven in the west, so most times I drove on the wrong side. Not that it mattered since driving around was always a game of frogger, but the vehicles weren't moving. I peered into the mirror to make sure the others hadn't fallen out of the back.

"Seoho, why don't we get some gas and move on to another state?" Geonhak suggested as he looked at the map of the U.S.

"But we haven't even looked through Cali in full." I said.

"I have a feeling it's far east." he said while looking at the map seriously.

"You can't possibly know. Don't try misleading us." I scolded as I turned into a gas station.

"You don't feel it? Here?" asked Geonhak as he touched his chest.

"No, I don't. Maybe you're experiencing your first heartburn. Congrats." I said before getting out.

I saw Dongju and Youngjo turn to face me as I pumped gas.

"I don't know why some say America is a bad place. It has nice sights." Dongju said.

"It's the people and ugh, how dirty it is." Youngjo said as he gestured towards trash moving in the wind. "But, it's less terrible now that the people are gone."

Dongju silently nodded as he looked at something in the distance. I soon became curious about Dongju's life.

"Hey, Dongju." I called out before putting the pump away.

"Yo?" he said without looking at me.

"What motivated you into becoming an actor?" I asked, now sitting in the back with the both of them.

"I've always had a knack for being overly dramatic and all that stuff. It sometimes feels like I was born for it." he responded as he looked at me.

"What about you, Youngjo?" I asked as I didn't want to leave him out.

"I was a messy child and was messier as a teen. I didn't know what I wanted and the fact that college slowly kept creeping up on me didn't help. Then one day a friend showed me a fashion show clip to point out something funny. It was then I felt something stir inside of me. I wasn't one to ask my parents for much, but they were certainly surprised when they came home and I shouted at the top of my lungs that I wanted to make clothes and needed to learn the basics, stat." he said, looking nostalgic and chuckling at the end.

Dongju and I looked at him in surprise as we never took him to be an indecisive person growing up. We heard the car door open and saw Keonhee stick his head out.

"We're talking about motivations that pushed us to our professions. Wanna join?" I asked with a smile.

"Sure." replied Keonhee as he made his way to the back.

We helped him get situated and waited for him to speak.

"For me, I was always changing my mind about what I wanted as a career. It wasn't such a big deal when I was a kid, but when I entered high school, it became one because college. Throughout my school life, my friends would come to me about certain subjects as I seemed to understand it more than they did. I found teaching them the material enjoyable and it became something I looked forward to whenever they came over. It was then I knew what I wanted to do for the rest of my life." he said while smiling the entire time.

"What subject do you teach?" Hwanwoong asked from the side.

"Math and physics." Keonhee said.

We all nodded then looked at Hwanwoong.

"When did you get here?" I asked.

"You should be asking him that." he replied as he pointed to the other side.

Geonhak waved while smiling at us. It was nice to see everyone willingly listening to each other's stories.

"What about you, Seo?" asked Hwanwoong.

"Well, since my preteen years, I've always wanted to make a difference and give back to the country. I wasn't really fond of the police force due to personal reasons, and I always admired those in the military." I said.

They nodded in understanding then voted for who should go next. Hwanwoong ended up being picked.

"I don't mean to sound like I'm bragging, but I'm a natural when it comes to dancing. Play any song and I can dance to it. My parents said sometimes it looked like I was dancing in my sleep when I was a baby." he said then laughed at the end. "It's something I love and I want to share that love with others and hopefully open their eyes to how wonderful it is."

We nodded in understanding then looked at Geonhak. He let out a sigh then refused to meet our eyes.

"I was forced into this career. Dad wanted me to be like him and live out the dream he almost had. Mom's a doormat and let him have his way. That's my story." he said unenthusiastically.

"So, you don't actually like soccer...?" Dongju asked surprised.

"I don't mind it, but it wasn't something I wanted as a career. I can't get out of it now though." he said with a sigh.

We all sat in silence at the truth. Not everyone has a happy childhood and I shouldn't have felt so surprised to hear one. We looked at Dongju who had placed a hand on Geonhak's shoulder.

"I know what that's like. People pressuring you into doing something you don't necessarily want to do. My mom wanted my brother and I to be lawyers like her. My brother fled home when college came around and has been living with his friends since. Me? I fled too once I got into college. She was disgustingly oppressive." said Dongju with an empathetic look.

"What about your dad?" Keonhee asked.

"Six feet under." Dongju responded flatly. "Preventable accident."

The atmosphere had become worse. Even if it seemed as if someone was living their best life, they could have an awful past.

"Enough depressing talk. Let's hit the road and try finding a core that will bring everyone back!" Youngjo said with a fist pump.

We helped Keonhee down then got back into our respective spots. I looked behind me and confirmed they were all ready to go. I pulled off then had Geonhak put on some music.

"You listen to Got7? Tasteless. If only you stanned Stray Kids." Youngjo said with a shake of his head.

"Please, as if Stray Kids are any better." Geonhak shot back.

"Are you two serious right now? After all that bonding we did?" Hwanwoong said with a roll of his eyes. "All groups are great. End of discussion."

"Fine, but this isn't over Youngjo." Geonhak said with a huff.

"I'll await our battle then." Youngjo said with a turn of his wrist.

ㅠㅛㅠㅛ

I couldn't help but notice Geonhak couldn't keep his eyes off of me and the map he was looking at.

"Spit it out." I said as we drove down the street.

"It's in New York." he replied while looking at me.

I stopped the car then looked at him. He's been weird ever since we landed in California. He looked at me earnestly.

"What's the hold up?" Dongju shouted from the back.

"Geonhak, now's really not the time to joke around. I thought you got something for your heart burn." I said before starting to drive again.

"Seoho, why can't you believe me, huh? Does it really seem that ridiculous? Compared to the situation we're in now?" he said in a raised voice.

I stopped the car again then glared at him. Did he really think we had time to diagnose what problem he could possibly have?

"Geonhak, listen to me. It. Is. Nothing. Trying to figure out what the hell is wrong with you will only deter us further. Figure it out yourself, you're grown for fucks sake." I said in complete annoyance.

Geonhak didn't say anything then suddenly got out of the car. Dongju crawled out from the back and hurried after Geonhak. I soon felt pain on my arm and saw Hwanwoong had hit me. Youngjo sighed and I could see Keonhee shaking his head in the mirror. Why were they upset with me? I had probably just saved us from going on a wild goose chase. Soon the rest of them had gotten out and followed after Dongju and Geonhak, leaving me alone in the car.

ㅠㅛㅠㅛ

I kept my eyes closed as I waited for them to come back. I didn't know how long I had been waiting, but the blue sky had become orange. I couldn't help but worry that they might've run into trouble. Or they were simply avoiding me. Both seemed plausible. Was what I did really that wrong?

I felt something cold touch my cheek and it caused me to open my eyes.

"Keonhee..." I mumbled, sort of disappointed at who it was.

"We thought you would've left." he said as he placed the cold drink on my lap.

"I'm not that cruel." I replied, moving my seat back to normal. "So, are they coming back?"

Keonhee nodded then tapped me.

"They want you to apologize and take him seriously. Geonhak, I mean. You were pretty harsh on him, despite saying we'd tolerate each other." said Keonhee as he looked to his right. "So, better prepare."

I poked my head out the window and saw them walking over to the car. I quickly got out then jogged over to Geonhak.

"I'm sorry for not taking you seriously enough. I just don't want us to lose out on precious time if it turns out to be wrong. I didn't mean to let it get to that point." I said giving him my sincerest look and tone.

"It's cool, I guess." he responded before walking over to the passenger seat.

I silently blinked as I had expected more. Keonhee patted my shoulder then got in the car with Hwanwoong and the others.


	12. CA✈️NY

"Guys, he's the only pilot we got. Either get on this plane or we leave without you." I said to the three idiots who refused to board the plane.

"I understand, but hear me out: why not drive there instead?" Dongju said with pleading eyes.

"It's faster this way." Geonhak said from behind me.

"True, but hear me out: traveling by land is actually safer than air travel now." Youngjo responded.

"We're leaving then." I said before ushering Geonhak in and closing the door.

"We're not going to leave them, right?" Geonhak asked as we sat next to each other.

"We do what's most beneficial to us. And if that means separating, so be it." I said before closing my eyes.

"You know, I used to think of you as the angel, but you're just satan in angel's clothing." he said before switching seats.

Why couldn't he understand that we didn't have time to waste on making a big thing out of simple solvable problems. I felt the plane move and buckled myself in before closing my eyes again.

ㅠㅛㅠㅛ

I felt my body being shaken, so I opened my eyes to see what it was.

"Finally." Geonhak said as he sat next to me.

"I thought you didn't want to be next to satan." I snapped.

"I was going to tell you that we're almost there." he responded flatly.

"How do you think the others are doing?" I asked while looking wistfully out the window.

"Probably better than we are." responded Geonhak.

"I doubt it. Dongju and Keonhee are together. They hate each other." I said with a shake of my head.

"They say fighting brings you closer to each other." Geonhak reasoned.

I laughed as I shook my head again. He was looking at it from the wrong angle. Everything from their words to their eyes screamed dislike.

"Are you a romanticist?" I asked in curiosity.

"Are you saying I want them to be together romantically?" he shot back.

Somehow this was where the conversation drifted. I sighed then gave him my opinion.

"I'm not saying that and I have nothing against men who swing that way. I'm sure they're straight anyway." I said.

"Still, it doesn't just have to be in a romantic sense. It applies to friendship." said Geonhak as he settled into his seat.

"Very true." I replied. "Maybe it could apply to them. Hopefully."

ㅠㅛㅠㅛ

We stretched out as we entered JFK. I felt something latch onto me and saw Hwanwoong who didn't look too well.

"Hwan, you okay?" I asked softly.

"Just hungry." he said as we walked.

I plucked a bag of chips from a shelf then handed them to him.

"To hold you over until we can get some actual food." I said with a smile.

He gently tugged on his hair and avoided making eye contact. I lightly chuckled as a faint color tinted his cheeks.

"Are you hot? Want a drink?" I asked as I turned around.

He hugged me from behind and kept me from moving. I kept quiet as I waited for an explanation. If there was one.

"Could you not be nice to me?" he finally said after a long silence. "It hurts..."

I didn't catch the last part and wondered why he didn't want me to be nice. How else did he want me to act towards him?

"Why...?" I asked.

"Personal reasons..." he responded before letting me go and hurrying away.

Each and everyone of them were hard to understand and figure out.

ㅠㅛㅠㅛ

We got out of the car and started looking around. I hoped that Geonhak's weird feeling was right, otherwise I'd have some colorful words to say to him. As expected, it was dead silent minus the occasional wind. I felt someone hold my hand then frowned when I saw it belonged to Geonhak.

"Something doesn't feel right." said Geonhak as he looked around.

"Could you, like, let go of my hand? We're not 4, dude." I said as I pulled my hand away.

"Sorry, I just think better if I'm holding something." he replied as he moved to hug a tree.

I looked around and noticed Hwanwoong was no where to be seen.

"Geonhak, where's Hwan?" I asked.

"Pipsqueak? Dunno." he said as he hugged the tree.

The ground started to shake and soon multiple tendrils burst through both the sidewalk and streets. I groaned in pain as I had been struck hard on my waist. It then hit my back in rhythmic movements, forcing me to the ground. Geonhak wasn't better off as he was being held upside down and being beaten. I couldn't fathom what we did that could've angered the Earth. If anything, it should only be mad at me for leaving the others.

"Guys!" I heard Hwanwoong call out.

"Don't get any closer or else you'll end up like us. Run, Hwan." I squeaked out before a tendril slammed itself against my back with incredible force. I was certain I had a broken rib at this point.

"I'm not leaving you both. Give me a few minutes." Hwanwoong shouted before taking off.

I was soon being lifted in the air and my other limbs had been seized. I tried pulling free then remembered how high up I was. I looked over at Geonhak who looked close to passing out.

"Geonhak, stay strong. Hwan is coming." I shouted, hoping he'd hear me and be a bit hopeful.

What worried me was the fact he didn't move rather than him not replying. Did he already pass out? Things really weren't looking good for us. I heard Hwanwoong shout from below and turned to look at him. I winced as a sprout had grabbed his ankle and caused him to trip. He sprinkled water on it then ran over to me.

"Help Geonhak first!" I yelled then felt pain on the back of my head. Things started to look fuzzy.

ㅠㅛㅠㅛ

I groaned in pain and the back of head hurt like crazy. I felt something cool beneath me and wondered what it was. My eyes refused to open and that started to worry me. I felt something cold touch my forehead and so I reached up to feel what it was.

"Seoho?" a familiar voice called out.

"Are you awake...?" another asked with worry.

I opened my eyes slightly and saw a white ceiling. Or gray. I couldn't really tell. I looked to my sides and partially saw two figures hovering over me. I rubbed my eyes then willed them to open fully. It hurt, but I managed to open them.

"You're okay... thank god." Hwanwoong whispered before holding me tight.

Geonhak joined in and I could've swore I heard him sniffle.

"Where are we? What happened?" I asked as my memory was hazy.

"I helped Geonhak like you asked, but afterwards you were just up there all limp..." Hwanwoong said as he pulled away. He looked like he had more to say.

"What else, Hwan?" I asked as he was feeding my curiosity.

"There was blood..." he replied then touched the side of my head, my wrists and ankles. "It was scary. It was starting to eat you..."

Geonhak gave a nod of confirmation then showed me his ankle that had strange marks on it. I never thought they were carnivorous.

"The others. Someone call them." I said in a panic.

Hwanwoong held me close and rubbed circles on my back while saying comforting words. I relaxed and let my body lean into his. He would've put me to sleep if it weren't for Geonhak's voice.

"Where are you three? Nevada? That's so far... Have you ran into any trouble? That's good." said Geonhak. "Be careful on your way here. Seoho and I were eaten by those tendrils believe it or not."

I held Hwanwoong as we listened in on Geonhak's conversation. He noticed us listening then put them on speaker.

"Say hi to the others." said Geonhak as he held his phone out.

"Hi! Guess who?" said one of them with a higher pitch.

"Youngjo?" Hwanwoong said as he stroked my hair.

I couldn't understand why I found it comforting the way he rubbed my back and the way he currently stroked my hair. I heard him draw a sharp breath as I rubbed my head against his chest.

"Seo..." he said as he stopped stroking my hair.

"Yeah?" I said as I looked up at him.

He searched my face then cupped my cheek. What was going through his mind? I felt weird the longer he stared at me. We heard someone clear their throat and saw Geonhak was standing with his arms crossed.

"You two done with your staring contest?" he asked.

We quickly pulled away from each other and I rose to my feet. I started to feel lightheaded and leaned against the wall. I shouldn't have gotten up so fast. I felt Hwanwoong hold me as I steadied myself.

"Should we just head back to get them? I'm actually kind of worried." said Hwanwoong as we started making our way out.

"Yeah. I'm worried too." Geonhak agreed.

Even if I disagreed, they'd force me to go with them either way.


	13. Regrouping?

**[Youngjo POV]**

I silently sat in the car with Keonhee as we waited for Dongju. I peered into the mirror and observed Keonhee. Despite what the others had said, neither of them had fought ever since we split.

"Hey, Keon." I called out.

"What?" he responded.

"What don't you like about Dongju?" I asked with curiosity.

"He's a smartass. He's acting too grown for his age." replied Keonhee before sighing.

"I can understand the smartass part, but I don't see what's wrong with him acting a bit out of his age range? Isn't it a good thing? It means he's thinking unlike others." I said while eyeing him in the mirror. "But, it's your call."

Dongju had come out of building then slipped into the passenger seat. I pulled off and continued to follow the GPS directions. The ride was quiet again as we traveled down the blocks.

"Youngjo." Dongju called out.

"Yep?" I replied as I got onto the highway.

"You're close with Hwanwoong right? What was he actually like in college?" he asked with interest.

"I'm not sure if he'd want me going around telling his business." I said as I kept my eyes on the road.

"Yet you were willing to expose him back in Korea." Dongju said with a pout.

"I had my reasons." I said as I smiled to myself.

"Yeah, yeah." he said.

"Hey, do you think they're doing better off without us?" Keonhee quietly asked from the back.

I looked into the mirror at his sullen face. Did he miss them already despite a day not fully passing yet? There was still a few minutes left before the next day came.

"I think there's no such thing as better off with or without in our situation. Now, if you were to say if they were enjoying themselves and having the time of their lives without us, then probably. It's New York after all." I said as I avoided a few stalled cars.

A phone started to ring then stopped.

"Hello? Oh, hey Geonhak. We're on our way to Utah. Stay put? Why? I see. Okay, bye." said Dongju before moving his phone from his ear. "They're coming back for us. I hate to say it but, we should get on the plane."

I looked at Keonhee who's chest slowly rose and fell.

"Alright, but we're both carrying Keonhee." I said as Keonhee's head bobbed.

ㅠㅛㅠㅛ

We quietly waited in an airport for their arrival. I glanced over at Dongju who was barely conscious. My eyes widened as a sprout had poked out of the floor beside him. I pulled him onto my lap then decided that moving altogether was a better idea.

"You both need to lose weight." I grumbled as Dongju had fallen asleep on me.

More sprouts appeared and some had instantly grown in length. I tried slapping them awake, but had no luck. I sighed then tried a different method. Dongju opened his eyes then took in everything.

"Dude, what the fuck!?" Dongju shouted as he socked me in the jaw.

"First of all, ow. Second of all, what the fuck did you expect me to do? You wouldn't wake up no matter how many times I screamed and slapped the both of you! Me grabbing your dick should be the least of your worries right now!" I said as I gestured to the tendrils around us.

"I feel violated. Apologize." he said with a huff.

"Are you kidding me right now?" I asked as I lifted Keonhee onto my back.

"No." said Dongju with determined eyes.

"Then stay there and feel violated. I'm sure those tendrils would do worse than I." I said before taking off with Keonhee.

I couldn't believe he was more concerned about receiving an apology rather than his own safety? He just couldn't wait until we got to a safer place. We made it out to where planes waited to take off. The area seemed relatively safe as I didn't see a tendril. I sat down with Keonhee as I watched the airport being destroyed from the inside out. I knew I shouldn't have left Dongju, but was trying to convince a mule to move worth risking our lives?

"I'm sorry." I mumbled as the sound of glass shattering was heard.

I felt myself starting to cry as guilt started eating away at me. I just left him there because I didn't want to waste time over an apology. I couldn't just give it to him and kept it moving. My quiet sobbing became ugly as I felt responsible for Dongju's possible death.

"Why are you crying so disgustingly?" a voice asked.

"I left you for dead, I-" I said then snapped my head up.

Dongju looked away from me with with pursed lips. I leapt towards him and found myself crying harder than before. He was alive and okay. I held him tight as I tried controlling my sobbing.

"I'm so sorry. I'm sorry for teasing your dick. I'm sorry for leaving you behind. I just-" I said then felt Dongju pull away.

"Maybe I was a bit stubborn. You were only trying to get us somewhere safe. I'm sorry too." he said softly before meeting my eyes. "Keonhee still hasn't waken up?"

"Yeah. It's starting to worry me..." I said as we looked at Keonhee.

"Why couldn't one of us be a doctor?" Dongju whined.

ㅠㅛㅠㅛ

"Let's keep an eye on him. It may not just be a fever." I said as I hugged Keonhee in an effort to keep him warm.

"How did he even get sick?" asked Dongju who hugged Keonhee from the other side.

"Beats me. Maybe we should pick up medicine." I said as I looked at Keonhee's sleeping face. I poked his cheeks and booped his nose. "So adorable..."

"What's adorable?" asked Dongju.

I froze then laughed awkwardly. I didn't know either. At least, I didn't want to acknowledge it. I sighed heavily as we waited for the others to arrive. We heard someone moan and traced it back to Keonhee. We looked at each other in silence unsure if we wanted to ask the other.

"Maybe it's not  _that_." Dongju said as he looked around at the sky.

"Yeah, but what if it is  _that_? After all, I touched him too..." I confessed.

"Bro, are you gay?" asked Dongju with slitted eyes.

"What? No. It was all I could think of at that moment. I didn't think playing prince charming and waking you up with a kiss would work." I said with annoyance.

"I mean, I'm not saying much would change if you were. I'd just avoid you more..." he said.

I rolled my eyes then squeaked at the sound of Keonhee moaning again. Dongju looked at me and I shrugged. He started to glare and so I glared back.

"Since you're cool with touching dicks, why don't you see if he's hard?" Dongju angrily whispered.

"Why me? What's wrong with you doing it? Do you know I had to do most of the work the entire time I've been with both of you!?" I angrily whispered back.

Dongju let out a grunt then made a disgruntled face as he looked at Keonhee. I could barely suppress my laughter as Dongju looked nervous. He acted as if he hadn't touched a dick before despite having one.

"Well?" I whispered.

"It's that, but not exactly?" he said as he went for another feel.

 _"And you were quick to call me gay... hypocrite."_  I thought as he finished his inspection.

"Yeah, it's that, but it's not hard hard. He could be moaning about something else. Maybe he's hurting?" Dongju said.

"That's possible, but I want to ask something." I said as I gave him an innocent look.

"What?" he asked slowly.

"Are you gay?" I replied with a smirk.

"Piss off." said Dongju with an obvious blush on his face.

I couldn't help but want to see how the relation between the two of them developed, especially if it needed a little probing.


	14. Back to NY

**[Back to Seoho]**

We disembarked the plane and took in the familiar sight of JFK. Dongju ran around excitedly while Youngjo and I carried Keonhee who was too weak to walk alone. We sat him down then Youngjo took off to find medicine.

"Do you feel any hotter?" I asked as I handed him water.

"I'm cold..." he said in a small voice.

He leaned against me and I could feel the heat radiating off of him. You could cook a whole breakfast on him. I tried fanning him despite him claiming to be cold.

"How is he?" Geonhak asked as he brought back orange juice.

"Could be better. Though, we should probably get him to a bed." I suggested before nicely asking Keonhee to get up.

"Where are you going?" Youngjo asked as he had come back.

"Finding a bed he could rest on. Well, we already set up in a nearby hotel, so we'll just bring him there." I said then received help from Youngjo.

ㅠㅛㅠㅛ

I placed the washcloth on his forehead then turned around at the sound of the door opening. I frowned as he walked over.

"Don't start trouble, Dongju." I warned.

"I'm not an asshole. Just want to see how he's doing..." said Dongju as he looked at Keonhee.

"He's getting better thanks to the medicine and rest." I said as I patted Keonhee's arm. "You mind watching over him? I'm starving and those other idiots wouldn't bring me anything."

"Yeah, sure. Don't worry, I won't do anything." he said as he pushed me out.

I walked to the fridge then took out the fruit we had swiped from the supermarket. Then again, was it really swiping if there wasn't a person to swipe it from? I shrugged then popped a few more grapes into my mouth. Things were quiet and I couldn't decide whether that was a good or bad thing. I took the grapes with me as I poked my head into the room. My eyes then landed on their hands.

 _"Is Dongju a tsundere?"_  I thought as I looked at their joined hands.  _"Maybe he just feels guilty or something..."_

I started to wonder who Keonhee thought was holding his hand. His mother? Girlfriend or boyfriend? Someone other than Dongju? It would be hard to believe that Keonhee would want to hold hands with Dongju.

"Who we spying on?" I heard someone whisper.

"Tom and Jerry." I replied then whipped my head back to see who it was. "Hwan? I thought you went out with Youngjo."

"I did, but I came back. Thought you might need help." he answered before looking back at the duo in the room.

"You know, you should be selfish once in a while. Do things you want and not think of anyone else." I said before stepping into the room.

I knocked on the door then watched as Dongju quickly retracted his hand. That was proof enough, but I decided to leave it be for now.

"Thanks, Ju. Go be a teen and do teen stuff." I said while ushering him out.

Hwanwoong snuck in before I closed the door in Dongju's face. I locked the door then sighed.

"So, we're alone. In a room. With a sick guy. I've read and watched enough content to know what happens next." said Hwanwoong.

"What's next?" I asked as I changed the washcloth.

"Either sexual or romantic tension that has been building up is released and the sick person is completely oblivious or it goes the thriller route." he said as he ate a grape.

I looked at him in disbelief at his knowledge. I decided to remain silent as I placed the new cold cloth on Keonhee's forehead.

"Well, seeing as how there isn't either tension between us, I guess that just leaves the thriller." I said, avoiding Hwanwoong's eyes.

"Yeah" was all he said in response. The room was now silent except for the faint sounds of our breathing. It was moments like this that I wish I had a board game or something. I quietly looked through drawers then spotted a pack of cards.

 _"How convenient."_  I thought as I walked back over to my seat.

"Strip poker?" asked Hwanwoong as I pulled out the jokers.

"N- No..." I stuttered before shuffling the cards and dealing. "Black Jack."

"Oh" was all he said in response. How was one to play strip poker any way? I didn't want to ask in fear of him getting ideas. We started up our game and made sure not to slam on the table too hard. At one point it was hard to tell who'd win. I quietly cheered as I had beat Hwanwoong.

"Cheater." hissed Hwanwoong.

"Only sore losers say that." I replied as I sat back down.

He pouted as he rested his cheek in the palm of his hand. He was cute when he pouted. I wiped the thought from my mind then reached for another grape. Our hands touched and caused me to look at him. I pulled away then told him to go ahead. I took a grape after him then decided to let go a bit.

"Why don't we play strip poker?" I quietly suggested.

"You sure? We don't have to you know. Especially if you aren't comfortable." he said with a worried look.

"I want to try it. Besides, it's just going to be us and there isn't any drinking involved, so I'm not worried." I said while smiling. "Basically, I'm saying I trust you and am willing to play."

"Well, if you're completely sure." said Hwanwoong who gestured for me to follow him. We didn't want to disturb Keonhee with our game. "I'll explain in the other room."

ㅠㅛㅠㅛ

We ended playing in another suite in case the others came back from their sightseeing. I stared intently at the cards in Hwanwoong's hand. A part of me felt he rigged the game as he hasn't lost any articles of clothing. I had lost all of my accessories and my shirt so far. Him? Nothing.

"Ready to lose?" Hwanwoong said with a smirk.

"Bite me." I retorted before placing my hand down along with him. My eyes grew wide and I leapt out of my seat in joy. "Finally!"

I expected him to be upset, but instead he laughed. My eyes softened at the sight. I sat back down then watched as he removed all of his jewelry. We gave each other a smile then he dealt a new hand to the both of us. I checked mine then internally sighed. It could've been a better hand. We wagered items and I counted off. We revealed our hands. I won again.

"Well, as the rule states, I have to take it off sexily." he said with a sigh.

He was probably regretting the rules he set up. I patiently waited as he rose from his seat. My eyes followed his hands as they slowly started to reveal his torso. I couldn't deny how alluring it all looked as he moved his body. I found myself shifting slightly as he had finally taken it off. I rapidly blinked and averted my gaze. I never knew his body could move like that.

"So, let's continue?" he said with an innocent smile as if he didn't just take off his shirt in an alluring way.

"Yeah..." I replied as I continued to shift in my seat.

Another round was played and once again Hwanwoong had lost. I wasn't sure if I wanted to watch or not. I gently slapped my cheeks. Why should it matter if I watch? We were both men. He didn't have anything I haven't seen before. Hwanwoong sighed then moved to the side of the table.

"You know, you have the option to deny..." I said quietly.

"It's fine. I don't mind really." he said as he pulled off his belt.

I bit down hard on my lip as I watched him slip his pants off. I started to shift again then finally realized what I was doing. It was turning me on. My face flushed as Hwanwoong was nearly done stripping. I was deeply embarrassed by the fact I was getting turned on by a male. I quickly left my seat and locked myself in the bathroom. I decided to look myself over then felt fear well up inside me. It wasn't happening, I didn't want to believe. I was hard and slightly oozing pre-cum.

"Seo? Is everything okay? Should we stop?" asked Hwanwoong from the other side.

I couldn't walk out with this obvious erection. I didn't necessarily want to, but it certainly would make things go faster.

"I'm fine. Let's end it here. Could you go check on Keonhee for me? I might be awhile." I replied then sat on the floor.

"Okay... Call me if you need anything." he said before walking away.

I waited until I heard the door close to touch myself. Small moans escaped my lips as my mind brought up Hwanwoong's stripping scenes. I was too far in to care at that point. I often moaned his name as well. My moaning steadily grew louder the closer I came to reaching my climax. My mind continued to run wild with thoughts of Hwanwoong until my body couldn't take it anymore and released. I panted heavily then groaned softly as a bit of cum had gotten on my pants.

ㅠㅛㅠㅛ

I stepped out of the bathroom then froze. Horror filled my face as I stood face to face with Hwanwoong. My eyes darted everywhere as my heart rate rose to an amazing speed.

"I-" I said but was instantly cut off.

"What the fuck." Hwanwoong said bitterly.

"How much did you hear...?" I asked cautiously.

"Enough." he replied with his arms crossed. "I can't believe you, Seoho..."

I watched him walk away then felt my legs give out on me. Would he tell the others? Would he start avoiding me? I started to feel sick. I couldn't find the heart to face any of them.


	15. Distance

I woke up alone. Of course I did. I locked myself in the suite. I never went back to the one where the others were. I stared at the ceiling and yesterday's events started to replay in my mind. I felt sick again. Though, the one who should feel sick should be Hwanwoong. There I was on the other side of the door masturbating while moaning his name. No matter how you looked at it, it was gay. I closed my eyes and let silence engulf me. How was I going to get along with him now? It wasn't something forgettable. I considered leaving the group. It seemed best.

I walked into the bathroom then noticed a few toiletries that weren't there before. No one should have been able to get in without the room key. It couldn't have been Hwanwoong. Not after what happened between us. I turned on the water and started to brush my teeth. Were the others still asleep? I figured I'd sneak out and leave on my own if they were.

"You've finally come out." a voice said and completely startling me.

"Hwan..." I said after spitting into the sink. "Why are you here...?"

"Why else would I be standing here near the guy who had sexual thoughts of me while masturbating?" he said with crossed arms.

He certainly wasn't going cut me any slack. I finished brushing my teeth then turned off the water.

"I have no idea." I replied.

"It's only fair that you get to sit and listen to me moan your name." Hwanwoong said with a devilish glint in his eye.

"If that's what it takes to get on your good side again..." I said with a sad smile.

Hwanwoong walked over to me then directed me to sit in the tub with the curtain closed. I didn't think he'd want me in the bathroom with him. I heard a click and deemed it as the bathroom's locking sound. I felt nervous.

ㅠㅛㅠㅛ

I bit my hand harder as Hwanwoong's moans were pleasing to my ears. I was starting to get an erection again. It certainly didn't help that he was moaning my name either. I internally wept for joy as Hwanwoong had finally finished. I didn't know if he had actually masturbated or completely faked it. If he had faked it, he was pretty good at it. I heard the shower curtain move then felt something on my shoulder.

"We're even now." he whispered into my ear.

I quickly nodded then heard him laugh. I didn't get what was funny.

"I hope you don't mind waiting a bit while I freshen up, right?" he asked softly.

If he had to freshen up, then he...

"Go ahead. I don't see why you would ask me." I replied as I kept my back to him.

The weight left my shoulder and soon the sound of water rang in my ears. I couldn't stop thinking about it. The way he gently called for me, as if he wanted me. I shook my head frantically. That probably wasn't it and just my id talking.

ㅠㅛㅠㅛ

"Where have you two been? Do you know how hard it was caring for Keonhee and keeping Geonhak from murdering Dongju within the span of an hour?" Youngjo barked as he glared at us.

"We had something important to discuss. Sorry." said Hwanwoong with an apologetic smile.

"Well, as long as you're here now..." he grumbled before flopping into the couch. "Your turn to take over."

I remained silent as I walked into the bedroom where Keonhee lied. I checked him over and felt relieved that his fever was gone. There weren't any signs of him waking up though. I gently patted his cheek while smiling. He was going to be okay. I heard a groan then watched him sit up with half open eyes.

"Keon, lie down. You're still a bit sick." I said as I gently pushed him down.

"I'm sick?" he asked in a whisper.

"Yeah. We aren't sure how you caught it, but what matters is that you're getting better." I replied.

"Hey, you're awake." said Dongju from behind me.

Keonhee hardly reacted. I guess he really was sick. Dongju seemed to have noticed as well as he quietly pulled up a seat next to me.

"Dongju? Why are you here?" he asked in cute, angry way.

I quietly chuckled as Dongju seemed perplexed. Was it because of the question or the the way it was asked? I'd never know.

"I'm capable of compassion, you sick jerk." he replied with a pout.

"Jerk? I swear if I wasn't sick, I'd slap you into your next life." Keonhee swore in a small voice.

I burst into laughter at Keonhee's threat along with Dongju. Keonhee groaned in frustration then rolled onto his side so his back was to us.

"I'll tell the others you're up and bring them in so we can plan." I said before leaving the room.

ㅠㅛㅠㅛ

We sat around the bed as we discussed what our next steps would be now that Keonhee was getting better.

"I say Geonhak stays with Keonhee today while the rest of us go out and search." said Youngjo.

"Of course you'd want me to stay here." huffed Geonhak.

"Don't you two start." I warned.

"How about this? You stay, Jo." said Hwanwoong.

"Me? Are you really going to betray me like this, Hwan?" asked Youngjo with hurt clear in his voice.

"Yes. Now, all in favor of Geonhak staying, raise your hand." Hwanwoong said.

Only Youngjo rose his hand.

"Oh, come on." Youngjo whined. "I'd be of more use."

We all decided on grouping with a flip of a coin. It somehow worked out.

"Take care of Keon. Beware, he bites." Geonhak joked before closing the door.

ㅠㅛㅠㅛ

I started to wish I knew what we were looking for. Was it big or was it small? Did it glow? Did it make noise? I felt myself trip then looked to see what it was. It was a small crevice. A part of me worried as it looked big enough to get your foot caught in if you weren't careful.

"Hey, everything okay?" Hwanwoong asked.

"Yeah. Let's keep moving." I said as I led him away.

"So, what are we looking for exactly?" he asked as we inspected plants.

"Dunno. I expected it to look like something in the movies. You know, it glowing and pulsing like some kind of heart and surrounded by malicious tendrils." I said as I managed to tickle a sprout.

"And I thought I watched too much TV and movies." he said with a laugh.

I softly smiled as the sprout had taken a liking to me. It seemed as if it was playing peekaboo. I covered my face then moved them. It seemed pleased.

"You'd be great with kids." Hwanwoong said from my side.

I chuckled then rose from my squatted position. I couldn't sit there and play with it all day, even if I wanted to. Hwanwoong followed behind me and I suddenly felt self conscious. Was I walking weirdly? Was my shirt sticking out? Could he see my briefs? I attempted to calm my thoughts as we looked around. What did it matter?

"Seo!" he shouted, causing me to jump in fright. "You okay...?"

"I'm fine. No worries." I squeaked out.

"I see... you were thinking back to this morning weren't you? Couldn't get enough huh?" he teased and caused my face to flush.

I frantically denied his assumption which only fueled him further. My face was as hot as the sun beating down on us. He patted my back with a laugh and said he'd stop teasing me. I was greatly thankful.

"Though... I want to know something..." he said while looking at me.

"Yeah?" I replied without looking at him.

"How did it feel... thinking of me like that and listening to your own name being moaned?" he asked with innocent eyes.

I was probably redder than the reddest thing on Earth at this point. Did he think I could really be honest with myself and tell him I found it exhilarating? Sexy even? I shook my head then looked at him. My blush remained as my eyes started look at him with a bit of fondness.

"It was weird... Hearing a guy moan my name and to have thought of one to get off..." I said quietly.

I missed the hint of pain and sadness in his face. He looked away from me and didn't say anything else. I was used to the silence, but why did this one in particular feel suffocating?


	16. What I Never Said

I ran at top speed and frantically checked street signs I could just barely manage to read with my limited English. I should've paid attention in school. Hwanwoong didn't look the slightest bit tired. Here I was, part of the military and could only manage 20 blocks of running.

"Why don't we just drive to Manhattan?" Hwanwoong asked quietly.

"Geon says it's jam packed. It'd be impossible to do anything but walk there." I replied as I looked around for a store.

"Why not drive most of the way then walk it?" he suggested as we walked into a corner store.

"Fine. Go find a car." I said as I down the water in seconds.

I yawned as I looked around at all of the food that was up for grabs. I shook my head as it was bad enough I had drank an entire bottle of water. I left the store then looked around for Hwanwoong.

ㅠㅛㅠㅛ

We sat in silence as the car moved down the highway. Events from a few days ago lingered in my mind. Hwanwoong kept his eyes on the road before us. I stopped the car then sighed. I didn't know what it was, but I felt I had to say something.

"Hwan-" I started then stopped when he started playing music. I frowned as it seemed deliberate. "Hey, Hwan."

He avoided making eye contact with me. I snatched his phone then sat on it. He still didn't look at me.

"What's with you?" I demanded more than asked.

"We're wasting time. Start driving." he said then closed his eyes.

"We're not going anywhere. How are we going to help Geon and Ju if we're not getting along." I fussed then sighed. "Is it because of what happened in the other suite?"

"No. We're cool with that." he said.

"Then what, Hwan? I won't understand if you don't tell me anything." I said, getting frustrated.

"Can we just go?" he asked in a raised voice.

"And then what? We get there and end up making things worse for them, especially Dongju? He's still young you know!" I replied just as loud.

"You're always so worried about everyone except me! Ever since the beginning it's been everyone but me! Am I that forgettable!? Do I-" he said then quieted down.

I had slapped him. He stared at me in disbelief. He quickly unlocked the door and exited the car. I looked at the hand that had done wrong. Why did I slap him? After a while, I got out of the car and hurried after him. Why did I slap him? The question constantly repeated in my mind as I looked everywhere.

 _"Please be safe... I'm so sorry..."_  I thought as I ventured further down the highway.

ㅠㅛㅠㅛ

I sat atop a car as I looked out to the distance. I had lost Hwanwoong. I felt guilty. Who knew what kind of trouble he was in? I looked at my hands then sighed. I slapped him because of his stupidity. I always worried about him just the same as the others. I was just never vocal about it. I never said anything because I knew he could do well by himself if necessary. He was a person who gave off the vibe that they didn't need protection. Instead of telling him all of that, I slapped him. Hwanwoong had every right to run away.

"I suppose I should get going..." I mumbled as the wind blew, moving my hair in the process.

I slid off of the car and opened the door. His phone still sat in the driver's seat. I picked it up and was surprised by the lockscreen. It was a picture of me looking out the window that one time back in Korea. Back when he suggested the beach idea. I never realized how good my side profile looked. It then freaked me out that he had secretly taken a photo of me.

 _"Does he admire me or something...?"_  I thought as I got into the car.

I held the steering wheel then looked at the passenger seat. Could I really just leave him behind? I sighed then noticed something in the mirror. I jumped out of the car and rushed towards him at top speed. I hugged him tight and spun him around in my arms. I found myself checking him over then pulling him close again.

"I was worried sick..." I said, choking on my words as I held back tears. "Don't disappear like that..."

I felt him hug me back then rub his head against my body. My face flushed at the action.

"I'm sorry... I overreacted..." he said into my chest.

"No, you didn't. I was an asshole for slapping you. It wasn't necessary." I admitted as we continued to hold each other.

I felt myself smile as I started to enjoy the moment. It was sweet and peaceful. I started to want more of it. I wanted to feel more of the foreign feeling I was experiencing.

ㅠㅛㅠㅛ

We arrived in Manhattan and checked Geonhak's text once more before moving.

"Central Park... where's that?" Hwanwoong asked as if I knew the answer.

I put it into Google maps then groaned at how long it'd take from where we were on foot. Hwanwoong looked and groaned too. Though, it would've been worse had we walked all the way from the Bronx. We followed the directions as we walked.

"So, where is this?" he asked as we crossed a street.

"It says... Harlem." I said as I messed with the zoom. "Geon and Ju haven't said anything for a while... should we call?"

"I'll do it." said Hwanwoong as he took out his phone.

It seemed as if no one was picking up. I told him to try calling Youngjo since we haven't seen him in hours either.

"Jo? Can you hear me? Great, how are things over there? I see. Mhm. Don't kill him, or else two certain people will hang you. We're fine, but we haven't heard from GeonJu. Ship name? Now's not the time for that, Jo." Hwanwoong said all while smiling.

He really must've liked Youngjo if he smiled that bright. I felt those disgusting pangs of jealously and envy. Hwanwoong hung up then looked at me.

"So he'll call back after trying to reach GeonJu." he said then looked away. "Pretty nice out isn't it?"

"It would be if the temperature was cooler." I replied.

I felt something touch my hand and saw it was his hand. Was he feeling uneasy? I held his hand hoping whatever his worry was would be eased with this action. I heard a yelp come from him when I held his hand. I looked at him and noticed his face was red. Was he hot? Did he not like holding hands? I let go then felt him grab it back.

"Yeah... a cooler day would be perfect for a date..." he said as he looked at the sky that was starting to turn orange.

"Are you interested in someone?" I asked curiously.

"No... not really." he replied as we started swinging our hands.

A part of me broke.

"Is that so..." I said as my grip weakened. "No one interested you?"

"No" was all he said. It was silly of me to think that maybe he was open to same sex relationships. For all I knew, he could be the straightest guy. I was still questioning as I found myself feeling something for the man beside me. I didn't know exactly what it was, but it certainly wasn't anything I felt for a close friend.

ㅠㅛㅠㅛ

We arrived at Central Park and found it quiet. Youngjo wasn't able to get through to either of them. We walked around hand in hand looking for them in bushes and behind trees. Our hairs stood on end at the sound of a blood curling scream.


	17. Central Park Frenzy

We followed the shouting the best we could. My heart constantly dropped into my stomach at the blood curling screams. I looked at Hwanwoong who looked just as pale. We picked up our pace then noticed something large looming in the distance. I pulled Hwanwoong along as I ran towards it. When we arrived, I couldn't look at the sight before me.

"Geonhak!" Hwanwoong shouted then left my side.

I followed behind as we approached a bloody Geonhak. Suddenly we were being swept away by a tendril. Dongju. Where was he? I hid behind a tree as a tendril threatened to send me flying if I didn't. Hwanwoong seemed to have the same idea as he poked his head out from behind a tree. We looked at Geonhak who tightly held onto something.

 _"Don't tell me it's Dongju..."_  I thought as I kept watching.

I saw Geonhak's mouth move, but I couldn't hear what he said. I decided to move and see why he wouldn't move from that spot. I managed to reach him while sustaining a few scratches. I looked over what he was clinging to and felt creeped out that it resembled a human body. I noticed he kept a certain area open, but I couldn't understand why. Then it hit me. I checked my pockets then frowned as I didn't have food or water. Soon Hwanwoong was by us holding one of those small water bottles.

I hurriedly took it then poured it over the strange form. They loosen and revealed a terribly beaten Dongju. We pulled him away as the tendrils seemed more fierce than before. I checked Dongju's pulse and concluded he was okay. The others seemed relieved. Geonhak's legs gave out under him and he passed out.

"I'm not surprised... Who knows how long they've been here and how long Geonhak had been keeping Dongju safe..." Hwanwoong said as he positioned Geonhak next to Dongju.

"True... So that's the core I'm guessing?" I said as I looked at the green tower like structure.

"Seems to be. How do we help it, especially if it's running rampant like this? And I swear those tendrils did NOT have teeth before." said Hwanwoong a bit startled.

"Well, let's find the heart of it? Maybe we should get more bottled water..." I said as I eyed the tall structure.

"Yeah." agreed Hwanwoong as we moved Dongju and Geonhak to a safer place.

ㅠㅛㅠㅛ

We stood outside of it's reach with water bottles in our pockets. It didn't seem as upset as before, but that didn't make me feel any less scared. I looked at Hwanwoong who trembled like a leaf in the wind. I held his hand and felt his trembling. It slowly started to disappear.

"Thanks. It's just... after seeing Geonhak, I couldn't help but worry. Would we end up like that? Will we die?" Hwanwoong said as he stared the tower down.

"Let's not worry about what ifs. What happens, happens." I said as I took a shaky step forward before sprinting.

ㅠㅛㅠㅛ

I stood and watched the green tower structure fall apart. Was it supposed to fall apart? We weren't able to get in, but we managed to do some damage. It continued to fall apart then revealed a small, silver, egg shaped object. Hwanwoong walked towards it. I rushed towards him and pulled him back.

"You have no idea what that thing is! It could kill you!" I scolded as I held him tight so he couldn't move.

"Okay, I get it! You're cutting off my circulation!" he hissed then bit my arm.

I let him go then bent down. I picked up a piece of the tower then threw it at the object. It hit it then fell to the ground. It seemed safe, but I didn't want Hwanwoong getting hurt. I climbed onto the debris then held the object in my hands. It started to glow and soon I found myself surrounded in white. All of this felt like we were shooting a sci-fi movie or TV show. The object started to disintegrate in my hands. It completely disappeared and I was still stuck in the white nothingness.

Soon it started to disappear and gravity had taken over, sending me ass first into the ground. I stood up as I rubbed my now hurt behind.

"What happened? You touched it and boom! You vanished instantly then came back the same way." said Hwanwoong as he looked at me.

My body felt weird. Nothing on the outside changed as Hwanwoong would've said something. Was it internal? I pointed my finger towards a tree then freaked out when a miniature version of it appeared in my hand. I never knew I could do that. I wasn't supposed to be able to do that. I started to panic and scream. Hwanwoong looked lost in thought then pulled me closer. I had stopped screaming, but I was still in a panic.

"Shh... We need you to keep a cool head." he said as he kept his gaze with mine.

I nodded then felt him place his hands on my cheeks. They were soft and warm. I subconsciously leaned into them.

"Close your eyes..." he said softly.

I did as I was told. I was already starting to feel better. I felt something soft brush against my cheek then touch my lips. It stayed there for a bit, so I decided to learn what it was. I bit it. It bit me in return. What was it? The soft feeling had already disappeared.

"Open." I heard him say.

I opened my eyes and looked at him curiously. He seemed strange compared to before. Did something happen?

"So, I just bit something and it bit back..." I said as I eyed him.

"Did you now..." he responded quietly.

I leaned forward and inspected his lips. He could be the only perp as no one else who could bite was around. I couldn't believe I bit his lip. Then I realized he had given me a peck on the lips. I looked at him in disbelief. He kept his eyes on the ground beneath him.

"Hwan... do you... like me?" I asked slowly. "Romantically?"

He kept his eyes downcast. It seemed as if he wasn't going to respond to me.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to! I couldn't help myself. Ever since we first awkwardly met in the men's room, I've liked you. It hurt so much, knowing I had started to fall for a straight guy. That's why I didn't want you to be nice to me. Call me whatever you want, but I can't stop these feelings, Seoho. I am a man who loves you." said Hwanwoong as he teared up and ran away.

He didn't give me a chance to respond. I didn't chase him. Getting Geonhak and Dongju back to the hotel was more important at the moment.

ㅠㅛㅠㅛ

I managed to get them into the car and back to hotel where Keonhee and Youngjo waited. I dragged them into the elevator then sighed in relief when I put them down. I picked them up again and dragged them to the room. I called Youngjo then waited for him to open the door.

"Woah, what happened to them? And you?" asked Youngjo as he lugged one of the two into the room.

"We found the core, well, according to Dongju, Geonhak found it." I said as I checked the chat to be sure.

"And yet, nothing is back to normal." Youngjo said as he peeked out the window. "Where's Hwan?"

I kept quiet then walked past him to see Keonhee.

"Did you leave him all alone in Manhattan!? What the fuck, Seoho!? Hwan may be strong, but he only has so much stamina! I can't believe you just LEFT HIM!" Youngjo said with a voice oozing anger and resentment.

"I'm going back. I just needed to drop them off." I said as I swiped a few snacks.

I just hoped nothing had happened while I was busy dropping them off.


	18. It Takes 2 to Tango, But 1 to Love

Not here. Not there. Not anywhere. I leaned against a wall then found myself sitting on my behind. How long had I been searching for Hwanwoong for? The night was fresh. Usually one would be worried about criminals and psychos, but no one was here besides us and animals. After resting, I got back up and continued my search. I tried calling his number and it went straight to voicemail.

"Please be safe..." I muttered as I stared at his contact info.

I looked up dance studios that were around Central Park. There were some, but not around the park. I decided to look through all of them in hopes that's where he went.

ㅠㅛㅠㅛ

I reached the last one in the area. I walked in then headed up to the third floor. The elevator dinged and I walked out. What would I do if he wasn't here? It was uncertain moments like this that I wished for plot convenience. I pushed open the door and looked around. There he was, all alone, practicing something. I kept quiet as he put on music and started to dance. His movements were sharp yet fluid. It was like he had no bones. I leaned against the door a bit more then found myself falling forward and causing a racket.

"Seo...?" I heard him call out.

I rubbed my arm as I got up. What an embarrassing entrance.

"Yo..." I said, devoid of happiness due to my fuck up.

"Let me guess, you asked Jo for places I'd possibly be." he said then went back to dancing.

He was right. Not long after I left the hotel, I had asked him places he would go when upset. Youngjo was plenty useful in certain areas.

"That doesn't matter. I'm here to bring you back with me. The others are worried, especially Jo." I said as I watched his body carefully. Maybe too carefully. "Please."

"So, they forced you to come and find me? You didn't care what happened to me then, huh? Because I like men too? Because you feel disgusted knowing a man wants to be romantically involved with you? Be-" he said until I shut up him.

I pulled him closer then received a positive response from him. It surprised me too, but it made me feel warm all over. Our tongues greedily tasted the other as neither could seem to get enough. I pull away as I quietly panted for air. Hwanwoong had done the same. I searched his face as my own was probably bright red from embarrassment. Did I move too fast? His face turned bright red as well.

"Seo... you didn't have to do that..." he said slowly and quietly. "You didn't have to force yourself to do it..."

"Force myself? I wanted to do this. I'm new to all of this and it's really weird and scary, but when I think of you, suddenly those worries no longer matter. I don't know if what I'm feeling is love or lust, but I wouldn't mind finding out with you." I confessed as I looked him in the eyes.

"Seo..." Hwanwoong called out softly.

I kissed him again. I couldn't help it. The way his dark orbs bore into mine with such fondness and innocence. The way his lips were slightly parted and almost formed a pout. The way his cheeks were slightly puffed out to go along with the pout. I found him attractive, stunning even. Words that I had suppressed were released, flooding my mind like a dam that had been broken. To me, Yeo Hwanwoong wasn't just a friend anymore, he was an irreplaceable partner.

ㅠㅛㅠㅛ

I closed the door as Hwanwoong had go on ahead. We both decided to keep it under wraps until the time was right. Youngjo shouting "Hwan!" was heard and soon the others had come running. They all group hugged him with Hwanwoong in the middle. I snapped a picture of the moment. My mood fell as I thought of us finally completing our mission and going back to our normal lives, forgetting both the event and each other. What would become of Hwanwoong and I?

"Everyone, let's get in a circle." I yelled as I wanted to get my mind off of things. They sat down and I noticed Hwanwoong had sat far from me. He didn't have to be extreme about it. "So, as you all know, we found a core and destroyed it or whatever happened."

"There was some silver egg thing, but it disappeared along with Seoho. He came back without it." Hwanwoong added.

I told them what happened when I held it. It made even less sense after telling it to others. And even after going through all of that, the Earth was still empty. At least, in America. We sat in silence as we thought about our next move. I soon heard a small voice in my head. It was speaking incoherently. I looked at the other five, but their lips weren't moving. I headed into a bedroom then locked the door. The voice was still there. What was it saying? The sound of knocking wasn't helping either.

"Could you all leave me alone?" I asked in a raised voice.

I internally sighed as all I could hear was the garbled voice. It kept repeating it like it was it's mantra. It slowly started to become distinguishable.

 _"'Go home. End it all.' Are we supposed to go back to Korea...?"_  I asked, half asking myself and the voice.

The voice disappeared and so did the weird feeling I've had since touching that object. I pointed to the bed then sighed in relief that a miniature version of it didn't appear. I unlocked the door and stepped out. They all looked at me worriedly, especially Hwanwoong.

"Let's go back to Korea." I said with my hands on my hips.

"Why?" Keonhee asked after a terribly long silence.

"Just like Geonhak, I have a hunch. Trust me on this. If Geonhak was right, I have to be too." I said as I looked at each of them.

They all looked at each then back at me. None of them said a word. Were they getting back at me for what I did to Geonhak?

"We're trusting you." Youngjo said at last.

"Thank you..." I replied softly, genuinely thankful they were willing to risk it with me.


	19. NY✈️SK

I sat back with my eyes closed. The trip home was going to be long. I felt my arm being shaken and forced me to open my eyes. Dongju was the culprit.

"What? You couldn't ask someone back there?" I asked slightly ticked off.

"Can I stay up here with you...?" he asked in such a low voice you could've missed it if you weren't listening.

I had never seen Dongju like this. Did something happen while I was knocked out? I stole a glance at Hwanwoong who seemed to be not giving us the time of day. I looked back at Dongju who looked at me expectantly.

"I guess... though, there isn't a place to sit." I said then grunted when he suddenly sat on my lap without warning.

"Thanks..." Dongju said before scooting back.

I wrapped my arms around his waist then internally sighed. I closed my eyes and hoped I would be able to fall asleep again.

ㅠㅛㅠㅛ

I found myself waking up then having a mini panic attack. I calmed down as I recognized the person to be Dongju. He quietly slept as he leaned against me. I looked towards Hwanwoong who looked as if he was completely alone on the plane. I expected some form of jealousy, but none seemed present. Dongju groaned then snuggled closer. I never really saw this childish side of him before. I patted his head then heard someone walk in.

"Oh, he's here." said Keonhee as he looked at us.

"You thought he jumped or something...?" I asked a bit surprised.

"Maybe... we kind of picked on him..." confessed Keonhee as he fidgeted.

That explained his quietness and pleading eyes that said they wanted to stay with me. I glared at Keonhee as I sat up holding Dongju.

"Did you really have to? He's human and has feelings. Couldn't you be more careful with what you said? You don't know what could trigger him." I scolded as I watched Keonhee shrink back.

"Well, I came to apologize, but he's asleep... Can you let me know when he's up?" Keonhee said as he eyed Dongju.

"Yeah. And tell the others they need to apologize too." I said before Keonhee left. I then looked at Dongju. I frowned and held him close. "Don't let them get to you..."

"Seo." Hwanwoong called out. I hummed in response. I shifted my gaze to Hwanwoong who looked at me with a serious look. It spooked me slightly. "How did it feel having his ass on top of your dick?"

I looked at him in shock at the question. Was this his pent up jealousy? He looked as if he had more to say, but was giving me a chance to explain.

"You heard everything though... There wasn't much else for him to sit so... and it's not like I asked him to sit." I said in response to his question.

"He could've sat on the floor. I don't like this arrangement." Hwanwoong said with hostility in his voice.

"You're taking this too seriously. Do you think I'd just fuck around with someone else who gives me attention? I'm not that low, Hwan." I said as I tried controlling my volume so the others couldn't hear.

"How can I be so sure, huh? You can say that and the next day up and be in bed with someone who isn't me!" said Hwanwoong angrily.

I kept quiet as I thought. I looked at him with sad eyes.

"It's happened before hasn't it...?" I asked softly.

Dongju sat up then stretched. He rubbed his eyes then looked at us. We started to panic as we were afraid of what he had heard.

"What happened before?" he asked half asleep.

"Us harmonizing. Go head back with the others. They're going to apologize, okay?" I said as I ushered him out.

I closed the door then looked at Hwanwoong. I sat back down and waited for his response.

"Yeah... I thought we were serious..." he said with a heavy sigh. "Imagine coming back and finding a guy's clothes scattered around and a naked guy in your girlfriend's bathroom."

It didn't sound pleasant, probably because it wasn't. I frowned heavily as I noticed his face started to glisten around his eye and cheek. I left my seat then wrapped my arms around his neck. It was obvious it still bothered him.

"You did nothing wrong, she did. She didn't deserve you. Despite having met in the strangest circumstances, I can say for certain you're a great guy. Hell, you can fly a plane for pete's sake." I said before kissing the top of his head. "Don't remember bad times and look forward to the good ones."

He held my hand then gave it a small kiss. I leaned down towards his cheek and planted tiny kisses leading up towards the corner of his eye.

"Stop... you're making me hot." he whined despite motioning for me to kiss the other side.

"I'll stop once you say you like me." I teased before kissing the other cheek.

"I like you. A lot. So much. I want us to get m-" he said then stopped. "Get matching bracelets..."

The last part sounded forced. Was it not what he originally meant? I didn't voice my question as he probably had a good reason on why he kept quiet.

ㅠㅛㅠㅛ

We all stretched out as we had finally made it back to Korea. Surprisingly, I didn't miss it. We all looked at each other then burst into laughter. No one knew what was so funny, but in the end it didn't really matter. Despite the severity of our situation, we had become close to one another. Even with the hiccups we had in the beginning. We all quieted down and let silence fall over us.

"Ready to end it all?" I asked as I looked at each of them.

"Not sure what you mean by end as there could be more, but sure, why the hell not." Youngjo said with a smile.

"You know it." Geonhak said as he made an okay sign.

"And bring everyone back!" Keonhee said with a thumbs up.

"And give the young ones a future." Dongju said.

"I'm on your side no matter what." Hwanwoong said with the brightest smile.

Little did we know that then was really the beginning of the end.


	20. Suddenly

It felt like the beginning all over again, except this time we knew what we were looking for and how to deal with obstacles. Geonhak played a card game with Youngjo while Dongju seemed amazed by Keonhee's skill with a game. I sat quietly with Hwanwoong as we seemed to be the only two taking this seriously.

"Where do you think it could be? We're currently in Hongdae... but it could be like America where it's on the other side." Hwanwoong said as we looked over a map.

"I wish I knew more..." I said then looked at him. "Can I tell you something?"

"You know you can." he said as he gently held my hand before pulling away.

"A voice told me we needed to come back. It said to go home and end it all. After that I no longer heard it. And that weird power disappeared too." I confessed as I looked at all of the cities and provinces.

"Considering everything that's happened, I have no reason not to believe you. So, do you think it'll contact you again when the time is right?" he asked as he kept his eyes on me.

"Not sure... lets hope for it." I replied as I sat back.

I looked over at the four who interacted with one another as if we weren't in a world all alone. How could they act so cheery, especially when we don't know what'll happen next? It's been smooth sailing ever since we tempered with that core in New York, but everything could come crashing down around us in an instant. And there they were, chatting about irrelevant things and smiling like idiots.

I sighed then felt Hwanwoong discreetly hold my hand. Maybe I was being too stiff. I looked at Hwanwoong then smiled softly.

"Why don't we go on a walk together?" I suggested quietly. "It'll probably do us both good."

"Sure. Should we leave together...?" he asked as he discreetly gestured to the others.

"Separate." I replied before getting up and leaving the hotel room.

A few minutes later, I was being embraced by Hwanwoong from behind. I couldn't help but coo at his tiny stature. We looked back then dashed down the hall before any of them noticed we were missing.

ㅠㅛㅠㅛ

I held Hwanwoong in my arms as we sat on the grass in a park. The complete silence besides the wind was unnerving, but it was still somewhat pleasant. It was one of the cooler days during the summer, so it made cuddling that much more enjoyable. Just then a phone started to ring.

"Should we answer?" I asked.

"Nah. They'll live." Hwanwoong responded as he leaned more into my body.

The phone continued to ring until the call disconnected. After today, we'll all be busy trying to find the core and get back to our lives. I nuzzled his cheek then let out a contented sigh. I decided to ask him what his life was like before the whole save the planet situation came about.

"My life... well, as you know, I'm a dance instructor. I teach most ages, 10 to about 50 years old. Doing something I love and getting paid for it, what more could I ask for? Though, I don't live around here. Further north in Chuncheon actually." he said. "How about you?"

"Well, I'm stationed in the central area of Chuncheon. I didn't really do too much." I replied as the cool air blew around us.

"Hm... Maybe I'll come visit when I have time." he said then rested his head against my shoulder. "I can't help but wonder what lies ahead for us..."

"Me too... I hope we can be together for a long time." I said then booped his nose.

We both groaned as a phone started to ring again. We both checked and it was coming from my phone. It was from Geonhak.

"He-" I said then moved the phone away quickly when Geonhak started to shout.

"Where the hell are you? Is Hwan with you? Holy shit- Keon!" Geonhak said with crashing and other unidentifiable sounds in the background.

"Geon? What's going on? Where are you?" I asked in a panic. I let Hwanwoong go and started to head back without him. "Geon!?"

"Youngjo, help me out here! Where's Don- Help me! Ju! Wait, we can't just leave Keon! Geonhak!" I heard on the other end.

It sounded like utter chaos. What exactly was going on? I then realized I had left Hwanwoong behind. I turned around and saw him standing behind me with mixed emotions. I explained everything to him. His eyes went wide and he dragged me by my wrist.

We rounded the corner and noticed familiar colored tendrils all around the hotel we left. We gasped in horror at a car being thrown into it. What the hell was going on that it started to attack? Soon a tree and a truck were being thrown into the building. A fire broke out. We picked up our pace then stopped when pieces of the the hotel fell and blocked part of the front door.

"This is way too convenient." Hwanwoong said with a heavy sigh.

"There's always a backdoor." I said then rushed towards the back.

I noticed tendrils had ceased malicious intent as I approached. I heard Hwanwoong let out a pained groan from behind me. I looked back then saw him struggling to get a tendril to move. I approached him then watched as the tendril backed off. It was weird, but it worked in our favor. I helped him up then held onto him so he wouldn't get attacked again.

"Do you think they're okay...?" he asked as he rubbed his back.

"Not sure." I replied then stopped as a large piece of debris fell in front of us.

I tried calling Geonhak, but he didn't pick up. Hwanwoong tried as well. We reached the backdoor and I told Hwanwoong to stand back.

"But what if you get hurt!? Do you think I'd be okay with that!?" he fussed as he joined me by my side.

"Hwan-" I started, but he already started to open the door.

Luckily the fire hadn't reached the bottom floor. I tried calling Geonhak then sighed in relief when he answered.

"Where the hell are you? Are you inside? Holy fuck it's on fire!? Youngjo, calm down. Focus on getting to the exit. How can I!? I don't wanna diiiiiiiiie! *slap* Shut up and run. These two have futures. Hello? You still there, Seoho?" Geonhak asked.

Did he really slap Youngjo? I shook my head as I kept Hwanwoong from entering.

"We're outside the building. The back of the-" I said then moved us out of the way off falling debris. "Back of the building. The fire hasn't reached here yet. Can you get here in one piece?"

"We'll try. Shit, watch out! Look, it's going to be a process, but we'll get there. Youngjo, pick up the damn pace! I hope we make it out okay..." said Geonhak before hanging up.

I forced Hwanwoong to move back more to avoid being crushed to death. I wanted to go in after them badly, but it didn't make sense to head in and get myself hurt as well. We patiently waited while avoiding falling debris.


	21. The Calling

We sat huddled together in the park that Hwanwoong and I visited earlier that week. We decided to lay off hiding out in hotels for two big reasons. One was to avoid an unnatural amount of places becoming rubble. The other was to avoid any of us possibly getting stuck inside and dying. Dongju sneezed then Keonhee had pulled him closer.

"Well, we haven't moved on from square one." Geonhak said then frowned when Youngjo called him captain obvious.

"Since it's pretty nice out, why don't we have ourselves a small picnic?" Dongju suggested then looked around for their reactions.

"Remember last time we took a break?" Youngjo said with a sigh.

"To be fair, it happened in the hotel. So, I think just having a break would be okay." said Keonhee with a curt nod.

"All in favor of breaking, raise your hand." I said then counted 6 hands including mine. "Then it's settled. We're split into three groups. Group Geonjo, you'll get the utensils and other material needs. Group Hwanhee, you'll get food. Dongju and I will get the drinks. Now, move out."

ㅠㅛㅠㅛ

"We should've asked what they wanted to drink." Dongju said as he decided between Pepsi and Sprite.

"Just asked. Geon and Keon want iced tea, Youngjo wants ginger ale and Hwan will just share with me." I said.

"Hwan said that...? Weird..." muttered Dongju before pulling out the correct drinks.

I took out two small bottles of grape soda since we were going to end up sharing. I looked at Dongju who seemed a bit troubled. I decided to play "parent" and see what was up.

"Somethin on your mind?" I asked as we carried the drinks out of the store.

"Not really." he replied before slowing down.

I stopped then looked at him. He sure didn't act like it was "not really".

"Talk to me. Maybe we can work it out together. And we were the first two to find each other. I think that means something at least." I said as I placed my hand on his back.

"It's Keonhee. It's weird around him. After seeing him sick and bedridden, it made me think. Since then I've been weird. We don't argue as much like before, we seem to... tolerate each other now." Dongju said as we started to walk again.

"You're both starting to like each other, that's all. It always feels weird when you and your enemy start becoming close." I said with a chuckle.

Dongju didn't say anything else as we made our way back to the park.

"Is it possible to feel... something for a man?" he suddenly asked.

I completely froze. He looked at me with confusion. I quickly regained my composure and cleared my throat.

"What do you mean 'feel something' for a man?" I asked to just to be sure.

"Like, romantic feelings. Is it possible...?" he asked.

"I don't think it should matter their gender. If you both really love each other, then that's all that really matters. Well, except in some cases." I said then smiled when the park came into view.

"You have a point. Sorry for bringing up something weird." said Dongju before nervously laughing.

ㅠㅛㅠㅛ

We quietly ate as the sun beamed down on the silent Earth we lived on. We were unusually quiet today. I didn't know their reasons, but it seemed to keep them on edge. I cleared my throat and gained their attention.

"Does anyone want to share what's on their mind?" I asked slowly.

They looked at each other then down at their laps. I figured I shouldn't have asked. I assured them that I was just a bit worried and that they had the right to keep silent.

"I'm scared about what's next." Youngjo suddenly said and disrupted the silence. "What if one of us gets gravely injured? What if we've been going about this wrong? What if the people don't come back? What if one of us dies?"

Everyone frowned as we thought about Youngjo's words. His fears were valid. A few of us sighed then we heard someone clear their throat.

"I'm afraid we might forget each other after it all..." Keonhee said softly. "You guys are pretty cool. Even you, Ju."

"We have each other's numbers though." Hwanwoong said.

"I meant like, our memory gets wiped or something..." explained Keonhee with a frown.

"I'm worried about my career... Sure, I'm good at it, but what is a career without passion behind it? I don't want to feel suffocated there, like I have no other option. That if I were to give it up, my team would hate me, my parents would hate me, the world. I just don't want to be a soccer player for most of my life!" Geonhak whispered, each word steadily louder than the other before tearing up and fighting back his tears.

My heart broke. I never thought something like this weighed heavily on his mind. I found myself moving over to his side and holding him close. It was then he burst into tears. Soon the others had joined in and were giving Geonhak a group hug. I picked up a napkin then dried Geonhak's face. I noticed we all started to tear up a bit the longer we hugged.

"Thanks..." mumbled Geonhak before motioning for us to let go.

We moved back to our spots and the air had seemed lighter. The others didn't seem open to sharing, so we continued to eat in silence.

ㅠㅛㅠㅛ

I kept hearing a ringing in my ear as we searched around. Hwanwoong took notice then stopped me from moving. He held my face and searched it. The others seemed to notice as well and watched from a distance.

"What is it?" he asked while looking into my eyes.

"There's a ringing in my ear and it won't go away. I've been hearing it since we left the park." I said before rubbing my ear.

"Let me see..." he mumbled before shining his phone's flashlight into my ear.

The others had walked over with concerned faces. I pursed my lips as I had hoped they'd wait a bit longer.

"What's wrong with him?" Youngjo asked.

"He said he hears ringing in his ear. There's nothing physically in his ears, so it's probably something internal..." Hwanwoong replied with a shake of his head.

We started to move again, but I stopped as garbled whispering rang in my head. It soon stopped when Hwanwoong looked at me. I was beyond freaked out. What was wrong with me? Hwanwoong turned around and the voices had come back. I kept walking despite feeling a dull pain in the back of my head. It grew louder the farther straight we walked. I screamed.

"Dude, you okay?" asked Geonhak as he held onto my shoulder with Hwanwoong on the other side.

"Get it out, get it out, get it out, get it out!" I screeched as moved to bang my head against the concrete.

Geonhak held me tightly, preventing me from doing anything reckless.

"What can we do? His face is pained..." Keonhee said with worry.

I struggled in Geonhak's arms as I attempted to smash my head against anything just to get the voices out. I felt Hwanwoong cup my cheeks then had a nervous look on his face. What was he thinking? Planning? He was leaning in. I had to stop him. This would be an awful way for them to find out. I calmed myself down then let my body go limp.

"Is he...?" Dongju asked from behind Youngjo.

"He seems okay. Sorta. Seoho, what had you so riled up?" Geonhak asked.

"Voices. My head. So loud..." I replied before looking at him to let me go.

They all surrounded me as I waited for it to become comprehensible like before. After a while it quieted down and started to become understandable.

 _"Heart of Soul. No, wait, Seoul..? What  about the heart of Seoul... if it is Seoul."_  I thought as I stared at the ground.

The voice never came back. I looked around and felt ten pairs of eyes on me.

"Well...?" Dongju asked cautiously.

"We need to get to the heart of Seoul." I said before ordering people around.


	22. To Honor

We searched around as a group for the tall, green, tendril covered tower. Dongju had kept me away from Hwanwoong the entire time we started to search. I didn't mind it that much as Dongju had some pretty interesting things to say.

"Hey, remember when you were talking about feeling something romantic for a guy?" I said in a low voice.

"Huh? Oh, yeah... I did..." said Dongju quietly.

"Is there someone you're currently looking at? Someone who was swallowed or...?" I said before glancing at Keonhee who was playing rock paper scissors with Geonhak.

"What? No. Get that out of your head! I was just curious... I want to be more open minded. Being stuck here like this has made me think and all." Dongju said as we followed the others.

"Nothing wrong with that. It's good to see that you want to learn." I said before noticing something looming in the distance off to the right.

"What is it, Seoho?" Dongju asked as I started walking towards the thing in the distance.

"I don't know, but it seems suspicious. I'm going." I said before sprinting off.

I heard shouting behind me which caused me to halt. I turned around and saw the others running towards me. Geonhak reached me first, followed by Hwanwoong, Dongju, Keonhee and Youngjo.

"Dongju shouted for us to follow. What had you running in the first place?" Geonhak asked curiously.

"That." I said while pointing towards the distance.

They all squinted and most of them gave up trying to see what I saw. I looked back and saw it a bit clearer. Was it actually...? I took off again.

ㅠㅛㅠㅛ

I slowed down as I came across a rather dangerous area. I looked around, but there seemed to be no end to it. Was it the same one we ran into before? It didn't seem like it. This one was wider. The others came to a stop as well.

"Now what?" Youngjo asked quietly.

I walked off a bit on my own as I thought. It would've been convenient if we had a tendril around. I checked under cars and trucks, in the dirt and grass. The world always seemed to work against us when we needed help most. I didn't notice how far I had wandered off until I noticed I couldn't see them when I looked back.

I walked back then frowned at the sight of Dongju and Keonhee arguing. Hwanwoong seemed to be trying to calm them down. I started to jog over then loudly gasped as Keonhee had pushed Dongju. He stumbled back and started to fall back into the wide crevice. I noticed Geonhak and Youngjo had arrived at the scene and they all worked together to pull Dongju up. I hurried over to add more manpower.

Dongju was successfully pulled back up and his face was awfully pale. Probably because he nearly fell to his death. I sighed then pulled Dongju to his feet so I could scold both him and Keonhee. Just as I opened my mouth, we heard a yelp from our left. I looked at saw Hwanwoong falling back. I moved as fast as I could, but it wasn't fast enough. I had just missed his hand.

"Hwan!" I screamed with my arm still extended out with my eyes starting to water.

I bit down hard on my bottom lip as I stared into the darkness. I moved to follow him then felt arms pulling me away from the edge.

"Let me go!" I wailed as I attempted to free myself from their hold.

"Don't think about jumping in there!" Geonhak hissed as he held me tighter.

I soon broke free of their hold then felt my heart shatter at the sound of a loud thud. My legs gave way underneath me and tears streamed down my face. My throat hurt. I covered my face as tiny sobs escaped my pained throat. The crevice closed itself. How did it happen? Why did it happen? Why did it take Hwanwoong away from me? I looked up and saw Dongju and Keonhee looking at me with worry.

"You..." I said in a low voice full of hate. "You two..."

I felt Youngjo and Geonhak seize me again as I had started to lunge towards them.

"Seoho, what's gotten into you? I've never seen you this upset!" Youngjo said worriedly.

I couldn't think straight. I couldn't hear anything other than garbled voices. My heart pounded quickly and heavily against my chest as tears blurred my vision. All I knew is that Hwanwoong was dead because of the two blurry figures in front of me.

"It's all your fault! You both couldn't just fucking get along! What were you even arguing about at a time like this!? Hwan would still be here if both of you kept quiet! I wish you both had died instead of him!" I shouted before going limp in their hold. "Hwan..."

I wrapped my arms around myself as I couldn't stop crying. They moved in to hug me, but I moved out of their reach. I started to cough as phlegm threatened to come up.

"Seoho, maybe he's not... gone." Geonhak said softly in my ear. "Maybe the Earth wants to test us."

I couldn't focus on anything other than the man I deeply cared for was now as flat as the street we were on.

"I think we should give him space..." Youngjo said before rounding the others up to wait across the street.

I curled up into a ball then shut my eyes. I had to be dreaming. He couldn't have died. It was all a bad dream.

ㅠㅛㅠㅛ

I woke up then noticed it was night time. The others had taken up residence beside me. I looked then noticed Hwanwoong wasn't among us. I shook Geonhak who slowly opened his eyes.

"Where's Hwan?" I asked quietly.

"Huh? Seo he-" said Geonhak before stopping. "He had some things he wanted to do before things went back to normal. We'll see him later."

I nodded then started to wake the others.

"How are you feeling...?" Youngjo asked cautiously.

"Fine? Why do you ask?" I replied cheerfully.

They looked at each other with sullen faces. Did something happen? Why were they so sad? I figured they'd tell me when they were ready. I stood up then stretched out.

"Well, time's wasting! Let's go destroy that tower." I said with my hands on my hips.

"You aren't going anywhere..." said Geonhak as he pulled me down to sit. "Those three will take care of it. You will stay here and get some more sleep."

"What? You can't just decide for everyone." I said as Geonhak kept me seated.

The other three had given me worried looks before heading off. I looked at Geonhak who started to sing a soft song. I really didn't understand, but if they all felt I needed a break, so be it.


	23. Mother Earth

I sat in silence with Geonhak as the area around us became foggy. We held each other tighter as it started to become hard to see in front of us. I looked at Geonhak who was just as spooked and confused. I hoped the others were okay.

"Seoho, may I ask something?" Geonhak asked without meeting my eyes.

"Sure." I said as my eyes darted everywhere.

"Is there something going between you and Hwan...?" he asked quietly.

I kept quiet. I didn't think we'd be found out. How did he know?

"No sense in lying. Yeah, Hwan and I decided to date. I know, dating during an apocalyptic situation isn't smart." I confessed as I played with my fingers. "But I think it's not all bad. It hasn't hurt us or any of you four."

Geonhak looked at me with the saddest eyes I've ever seen. Was he disappointed? Jealous? I didn't know and I probably never would.

"What's wrong?" I asked curiously.

"Nothing really. You're both cute together." he said with a small smile.

I smiled happily as I was afraid that the others would be displeased by it. The fog around us was thick. We stood on alert at the sound of loud crashing.

"Hey, didn't that come from the direction they went in?" I asked warily.

"Yeah... I'm hoping that's a good sound." muttered Geonhak as he held my wrist tightly.

The fog started to clear up, but the sky was still cloudy. Another loud crash was heard and the clouds started to disperse, revealing small patches of clear blue sky. Geonhak pulled me into the sidewalk then looked in the direction they left in.

"I think they've done it." Geonhak whispered, but I had caught it.

I noticed the ground started to shake and soon leaves and petals suddenly appeared, leaving behind unmoving humans. We separated and checked them over to see if they were alive or dead. I exhaled in great relief at their slow pulses. I looked towards Geonhak who gave me a thumbs up. I rose from my squat position then noticed my phone started to ring.

"Did it work? Are they back?" Youngjo asked through parted breaths.

"They are. They're unconscious though. Hurry back so we can celebrate." I said happily.

He hung up and I hurried over to Geonhak.

"So, when will Hwan come back? Did he say when?" I asked impatiently.

"I'll tell you when the others get back." he said sadly.

ㅠㅛㅠㅛ

We were soon all together and the humans were still unconscious. I looked at Geonhak who whispered to the others.

"Seoho, about Hwan..." Dongju said then looked at Keonhee.

"He didn't actually go anywhere. He..." trailed off Keonhee who then looked at Youngjo.

"Believe it or not, he's not that far away... Hwanwoong is..." Youngjo said then burst into tears.

"Hwanwoong is... dead, Seo. He fell into a crevice. Even if he survived the fall, it's impossible to survive being smashed..." Geonhak said, finishing what the others couldn't.

I blankly stared at them. I shut my eyes as I covered my ears and crouched down. It couldn't be true. Tears escaped my eyes and ugly sobbing emitted from my throat quietly before steadily getting louder. Everything hurt. Memories of Hwanwoong flashed in my mind, making the pain worse. I fell onto my side and found it difficult to breathe. It couldn't be reality.

I felt my body being touched which only caused me to scream louder. Hwanwoong couldn't be dead. He wasn't clumsy enough to fall into a crevice. I started to gasp like a fish out of water due to crying uncontrollably and not allowing myself to really breathe. I felt my body being pressed against someone else's then a constant cool breeze being directed into my face.

"Maybe we shouldn't have told him..." said Dongju as he looked at me with guilt.

"No one expected him to fall..." Keonhee replied as he comforted Youngjo.

I couldn't quite understand them as my body was more in tune with who was cradling me in their arms and my own disgusting sobbing. I started to quiet down after a while then heard the person whispering sweet and comforting words in my ear while stroking my hair.

"It's gonna be okay, Seo. Let's try to sleep, okay? You're probably very tired after crying so much." Geonhak said before planting a kiss on my temple.

Geonhak motioned for one of them to do something as they took off quickly. He was right. I was tired and could barely lift my limbs. I let my body go limp in his arms as I was completely drained.

ㅠㅛㅠㅛ

I opened my eyes and found myself lying in a bed. The room wasn't my own. I sat up and found I was alone. I moved to get out of bed then hissed as a few spots on my body felt sore. I turned towards the door that had just opened.

"Keonhee...?" I called out in confusion.

"My place was the closest... How are you feeling? Can you eat?" he asked.

I simply nodded. He left the room and I then slipped out of bed. I walked over towards the window and saw people carrying on as usual, as if the entire Earth didn't swallow them whole. A part of me wished I could forget, just like them. Maybe then it wouldn't hurt so much. The door opened again and Youngjo had joined me by the window.

"Doesn't feel right does it?" he asked softly.

"Not at all." I responded, knowing exactly what he meant.

"What will I tell his friends? Parents?" he grumbled before hitting the window. "His mom would be the most devastated..."

I sighed then moved away from the window. He didn't say anything. I opened the door to leave the room. He was still silent. I closed the door behind me.

I went out for a walk then grimaced at the carefree humans. What were they so happy about? They didn't have a right to be happy. I started to wish we left well enough alone. I sighed then kicked a pebble. I kept walking then passed by a high school. I looked farther down the block and saw a playground.

I quietly sat on the swing as I let myself feel upset. I shouldn't have pursued him. Would that have changed things? I heard the swing beside me move, so I looked to see what it was. My eyes widened and my mouth was shaped into an "o". There sat someone with the spitting image of Hwanwoong. I tried to greet them but found myself at a loss for words. Maybe it was his brother.

"Hwanwoong?" I called out. He looked at me with a confused look. "Sorry, I... mistook you for someone else."

I quietly swung then felt myself starting to feel broken all over again.

"How do you know my name?" he suddenly asked.

I stopped then looked into his serious face. Everything looked exactly the same. There was no way he wasn't the real deal.

"It's me, Seo! We met at the mall in Chuncheon." I said hurriedly.

"Give me a straight answer or I'm calling the police." he threatened.

"I swear, we know each other! You're a dancer instructor and you teach from ages 10-50. Your best friend is Kim Youngjo that famous fashion designer. You live up north in Chuncheon..." I blurted out, unsure of whether or not it would help or hurt me.

He tapped on his phone then put it to his ear. I scrambled out of the seat and dashed down the block. Was it really Hwanwoong? Didn't we all see him die?

"Hey!" I heard a familiar voice shout.

I stopped and let Hwanwoong catch up to me.

"Look, I don't know you nor how you know so much about me, but if Jo is vouching for you... I guess it's okay." he said then held out his hand.

I nervously took it and was amazed at how real it felt. He wasn't a ghost.

ㅠㅛㅠㅛ

I was snapped out of my thoughts by a person sitting across from me.

"Well, what did you think about?" she asked.

I retold everything then felt more hollow inside. It wasn't real. Hwanwoong wasn't reincarnated. I never met him again. I heard her sigh then jot something down.

"It seems we're going to be meeting a lot, Mr. Lee." she said with a sad smile.

I just nodded. It was impossible for me to function right after everything. They were fine with letting me have a paid leave as I worked on bettering myself. I covered my face as I contemplated on how I let myself spiral down to the point I needed therapy. I wished we had never saved the world as it meant I'd still have him in my arms. Perhaps I started thinking of taking matters into my own hands and sending others to join Hwanwoong in eternal sleep.

I was crazy enough at this point to do it.


End file.
